


Introduction to the Multiverse

by FictionWriterD



Category: Original Work
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Lovecraft Fusion, Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, AssassinsCreed, Biopunk, Dead or Alive - Freeform, DemonSlayer, Dieselpunk, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Fighter, Gangster, Gears of War, Gen, Genres, Monsters, Mortal Kombat, War, Werewolf, fightinggame, frenchrevolution, game, mafia, mermaid, pirate, soulreapers, vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 76,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionWriterD/pseuds/FictionWriterD
Summary: Welcome to my worlds.
Kudos: 2





	1. Tanabata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth-90, Japan. Takeru goes to pick up his future fiance the demon princess Megumi to take to the Tanabata Festival, and he is floored by what he finds...

The summer heat was beginning to die down much to Takeru's relief. The fifteen year old had only just gotten into his yukata and he didn't want it to get damp from the sweat he would have created. "Last thing I need is mom getting mad at me..."

He wore a grey and blue yukata, the same one he wore for the Tanabata Festival for the last two years, and it was still in pristine condition for him to wear. He wasn't as much of a fan of tradition for holidays but his mother had insisted he wear a yukata for the holiday, and take his fiancé with him to show her what it was like to experience a human festival.

Takeru had complained but gave in when his mother had told him it would be best for both him and Megumi, since they were technically betrothed, though neither of them had a say in the matter when that bond had been established.

'Still, Megumi sent a runner to let me know she wanted to go...so she must be more open to the idea than I thought. That or she was blackmailed into going...'

He walked up the gravel path behind his house where the forest lay between his home and the world famous Mt. Fuji. As usual a thin blanket of fog was like a veil hiding what the forest had been hiding for centuries. Takeru knew that, though he couldn't see more than ten feet in front of him, that he was being watched from the trees.

By people? No. Something much more ancient, much more mythical. Not to mention dangerous.

He wasn't worried. A bit intimidated, but not so much as to fear for his own safety. The figures who embraced the shadows were meant to protect him from the dangers the forest kept inside.

As he approached a set of stairs that would lead to the Inoue family shrine he saw a figure standing at the top. He got close enough to see it was a familiar face. A tall man dressed in a green and blue yukata that was tailored to perfection. Yet two things stood out to Takeru: the man had a pair of black canine ears poking out from the raven black hair upon his head, and he had a matching fox tail sway from behind his hips. Though the kitsune family were demons they had the appearance of humans and it helped them blend in with human society.

That and he smiled like he hadn't a care in the world. "Ah! Konbanwa, little brother!"

Takeru winched slightly but bowed to the man out of respect. Then he addressed him, "Lord Shingo. must you call me that? Your sister and I haven't married yet."

Shingo was Megumi's oldest sibling by about a century at least. That was what Takeru noted. Still despite the age and the wisdom of outliving all humans Shingo had the friendly personality that made him approachable for Takeru. Unlike the rest of the kitsune family whom he respected but had never had the courage to speak to like he did with Shingo. He was also the most open about the fact that his sister, a full blooded yokai, was going to marry a normal human. Such a thing would have been taboo in another reality but since it was agreed upon by both families it was allowed.

The fox demon shrugged his shoulders, "True as that is, Takeru, we're like family already. Might as well address each other as such, don't you agree?"

Taking it in stride Takeru went up the steps and followed Shingo past the gate. Now he went from the Inoue property into seemingly another realm entirely. Without the fog the forest revealed a large palace that seemed to come from the far past and had been untouched for centuries. The fog served as a shield for the yokai (demon) family so they could live in peace without any wandering eyes.

Takeru kept up with Shingo as they traversed the front garden of the estate. "So, does your family celebrate Tanabata?"

Shingo didn't turn but spoke in his usual friendly tone. "Why yes, though we do it more privately than humans do. We still wear yukata and play games, but it's a more intimate affair. Mother and father had already gone off on their own."

Takeru gave a slight sigh of relief. He had hoped to not worry about meeting his future in-laws. Save for one. "And Megumi?"

Not initially answering him Shingo led the human boy to the front step of the entrance to the house itself. "She's been preparing for your arrival ever since you requested she come with you."

That had been the day before. Had she been getting ready the whole time? 'It had only taken me ten minutes to get prepared and she's been taking a whole day?' "She must be meticulous about her looks."

Shingo chuckled, "Not really. My baby sister has a warrior's mind in a woman's body. But..."

"Baby sister?"

"Megumi may look the same age as you but she's-oh, never say a woman's age. Where are my manners?" Joked the older yokai. He brought a hand to his pointed chin, thinking mischievously. "When mother told her to look her best for the sake of the family she swallowed what pride she had to make father happy. 'I shall do so but only for the honor of the family', was her response. A warrior through and through."

Takeru felt bad for Megumi. While it was no secret that she didn't like the arranged marriage she at least had her pride and he respected it. 'She must feel like she had a gun to her head...'

Taking a moment Shingo knocked on the door behind him, "Sister? Takeru is here. Are you ready?"

Silence for a minute or two before a feminine voiced responded. "I hate you, brother."

Shingo blinked but he wasn't fazed by Megumi and took it as a jest. "Why is that?"

"This yukata...it's far too bright for my tastes."

"That's because of your samurai mentality. Tanabata is a chance to show off your beauty, not hide it. I took into consideration of how you would stand out in a crowd. I want people to gasp in awe when they see you."

"I'd rather not."

"Regardless Takeru is waiting for you. Please come out."

Takeru wanted to say she could take her time but much like her he wanted to get this festival behind him as quickly and painlessly as possible. He remained silent.

"...very well."

The sliding door opened and Shingo moved to the side. Megumi stepped out and when he laid eyes on her Takeru lost his breath.

Megumi was a natural beauty even for a yokai and though she perceived herself as a warrior first and foremost, yet her beauty was greatly enhanced by the yukata she wore. Sure the many handmaids in the household had a large part in helping her for the sake of the festival and her future groom, but what Takeru saw blew his mind. She wore a pink and green yukata with a flower pattern as well as a gold sash, her hair was up in an intricate bun and red ribbons hung from it. Her fox ears were hidden no doubt by sorcery as was her tail yet the single white streak of her hair was visible.

Though her brother looked on with appreciation and Takeru with awe, Megumi looked as if she would rather be anywhere else but here.

"I look silly," she said, trying to hide her discomfort behind her usual stern expression but only half-succeeding.

Were it any other girl Takeru would have found it adorable, but this was Megumi he was talking about. A kitsune yokai who saw herself as a warrior and had the pride to match. For her this was as close to utter humiliation as she could allow, even if it was only to last for a few hours.

Takeru bowed in respect, "Lady Megumi."

Her yokai yellow eyes fell on the human boy. She bowed in return, "Takeru."

"Go on, Takeru, tell her what you think," said Shingo, trying to get a rise out of either of them.

Takeru wanted to say something but the fact that he didn't know what to say that would be right for Megumi's sake held him back. That and she had her eyes narrowed at him, like his life depended on what he did next.

"You're beautiful..." he said sheepishly.

Though he had said it in a near whisper the two fox yokai had heard him clearly thanks to their sensitive hearing.

Megumi turned away bashfully, though one could say she appreciated the compliment.

Shingo had to hold back a laugh. The whole scene was like a comedic play to him. "Now, you should be on your way-oh! I forgot. Sister, here."

Megumi turned her head towards her brother as he raised his hands to her hair. "What are you..."

"I know you shouldn't have it with you but if it makes you feel better...here's your sword. There," said the man. From what Takeru could see Shingo had put a silver hair pin of sorts on his sister's right temple which held back her bangs. "This silver pin is your sword, in case you inevitably run into a need to use it."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, "'Run into trouble'? Brother, are you saying I am attracted to trouble?"

Shingo smiled, "No, dear sister, I say trouble has a habit of finding you."

Megumi almost smirked for it was truth.

Her brother put his hand on her upper back and motioned to Takeru. "Now, please go and have fun with your future husband."

She rolled her eyes, already in a bad mood as she walked down the steps. Thanks to the wooden shoes she wore she was a few inches taller than Takeru as she approached him. "I hope we can get through this without issue."

"Same here." Takeru sympathized with her. Neither of them wanted to go and had pretty much been talked into it by their parents and for that both of them could actually agree on that.

'Still, we should have as much fun as we can...'

"Well, shall we?" asked the human boy.

Megumi nodded once, "Yes, let us be off."

For that moment the future husband and wife went on their way together.


	2. Jackhammer & Shutterbug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth-51, Blackberry is a city in Massachusetts that is the proving ground for America's last line of defense against their enemies: the dynamic duo of self-relying automatons who are as much trouble for their friends as much as their enemies!

April 23, 1951

Blackberry, Massachusetts

The Big Reveal

In the area known as Cough Town, also known as the industrial sector of Blackberry, there was a circus of activity. A stage had been prepared in the only warehouse clean enough and sanitary enough to house the nearly three dozen spectators of various departments from Washington. The bigwigs were hoping to turn this into a government success story.

The thought was enough to frustrate Fred Walsh. This was his personal triumph and he'd be damned if they used it only to fuel their own ego. 'They want to turn my success into their own trophy...something to boast about.'

After weeks of testing at Test Site Delta, Doctor Fredrick Walsh was excited to be releasing his pet project. He couldn't wait to show the big heads in Washington what four years of his life provided for the welfare of his country.

So, here he was, on a cool brisk spring morning in eastern Massachusetts with a large metal box and at least a half dozen assistants and a waiting radio and television crew ready to see what he had been working on for the last handful of years.

That was what was in the nine foot tall rectangular metal case.

"Dr. Walsh, the news anchor is getting antsy. Might want to hurry it up..." said an assistant; name was Burk something-or-other. He was finicky with the details on everything Walsh assigned him to. Made him more than perfect to handle the media.

Fred had a simple solution to this situation. "Don't worry Burk. Let the media wait. The end result will be their excitement going through the roof of this place when the prototype is revealed."

Burk nodded twice and went on his way.

Fred went to make one last inspection of the box. "I know you won't let me down, Jack. You'll knock their socks off." He tapped the box with his right hand before moving on with his work.

Burk did his work with gusto, keeping the media crew busy until Fred was ready for them. When the time came Fred took his place at the podium atop the stage. Government agents and representatives took their seats in the front row in front, while the television camera crew got in the middle. The scientists took their seats just off to the left of the stage.

The box was ready in the center of the stage behind its creator.

The cameras were turned on; flash photography began in a few moments. After a big breath to assert his confidence, as well as a hand to remove the push back the short black hair on the top of his head, Fred began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future. For years America has been clamoring for safety in light of the wars in Russia and China. Though we have our Jericho Wall surrounding the entire country, fear of the evil foreigners continue to threaten the peaceful existence America is enjoying. Last month, saboteurs from a foreign nation destroyed the shipping yard in New York City, setting the business in that district back months and costing the lives of hundreds of hard working men just doing their jobs. As stated before, the wars in the world have our fighting men on edge and they are ready to repel any and all attacks. But what of suburbia? What of our cities? They have the police! That is what you would say. If they fail we have the National Guard! But what if that is not enough? For four years my team and I toiled to answer that question. Using the latest in modern technology and advancements in science, we now have an answer."

Fred turned to the giant box behind him. "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the first working prototype of Project Hammer. His name is Jackhammer."

The seams on the four corners of the metal box were released and the box fell apart into the four directions of the compass, revealing what had been inside.

What was shown was right out of a science fiction novel. Standing between seven and eight feet tall was a human shaped suit of metal. Robust and bulky at the same time, the armor made him look intimidating even with its simplistic design. On the being's back was a small diesel engine that was as quiet as it could get. The face had two yellow lights representing its eyes but no mouth or nose. The body wasn't proportionate like a normal human, which was the only indication that whatever was standing on the stage was not human at all.

The crowd had gasped loudly at first then the cameras started to flash and the news crews started to report as best they could what they were seeing.

Yet from inside the helmet of the being known as Jackhammer, through a radio system that sent what the unit heard and saw back to a building deep within Blackberry's commercial district, the video feed was in black and white but from where he stood Jackhammer felt...nervous.

Wait, if he was an automaton, how could he feel anything?

Dr. Walsh would want to keep that detail secret, just something he knew and would take to his grave, but he knew Jack was most likely nervous at what he was experiencing. Little movements to look around, to process that he had been revealed to the world and they were taking in their newest protector.

As soon as the crowd calmed down enough Dr. Walsh went about with what he had to say. "Now, I will take your questions, one at a please if you would be so kind."

The first to raise his hand was a male reporter with thick glasses, middle aged and with too many watches on his wrists. "This Jackhammer, what exactly is he?"

The doctor found the question humorous. "To fully explain would be...convoluted, to say the least. In simple laymen's terms, Jackhammer here is an automaton. A self-aware being that is just as human as you and me but special in his own right. He is packed with weaponry meant to protect us from those who want to do us harm."

A female reporter raised her hand and stood up, "Can't he speak?"

"No. That was one part of his creation that we failed to make progress on. He can make grunts and the like, but not fully formed words."

"Then how should we take him? Surely it would be hard for him to do what he was designed to do if he couldn't speak."

"We figured out that issue early on." The doctor turned to Jackhammer. "On his back is a small radio and video set up, which allows us to hear and see what he sees. From there the signal is sent to our Headquarters here in Blackberry which then he will receive instructions from our experts on his course of action."

"Whoa there, chief. Is that what I am supposed to do? Thought I was supposed to be this lugs' eyes an' ears?"

The sound of a small whirling engine was heard along with the distinct Georgian accented voice before a small flying contraption came into view. It was a bot. Small, light green paint job with a small set of propellers at the top to keep it in the air, and a single camera lens for its 'eye'. It had small antennae on the top of its head with little lights on the tips. It looked like a bug and everyone tried to make sense of what they were seeing.

Dr. Walsh looked at the new bot, "Ah, I was just about to introduce you. Everyone, I want you to meet Jackhammer's assistant: a flying camera unit, or FCU for short, who goes by the name Shutterbug." He gave an audible sigh at mentioning that name, like he wasn't pleased to christen the device as such.

Shutterbug was far more enthusiastic about his name. "Yup, howdy there folks!"

Cameras flashed crazier than when they had first seen Jackhammer.

"So...is he moving on his own?" asked one reporter.

"Fully automatous from us. He will make sure that Jack here does his job right and makes sure that people feel safe in his presence. That and he will speak for him since he doesn't have a voice of his own."

An enthusiastic holler from Shutterbug was heard, "We serve and protect YOU, 'Merica!"

Two weeks passed after that 'successful' reveal, and nothing happened for the new 'protectors of America'. Dr. Burk went ahead and provided the details into his audio diary with a somber and frustrated tone.

"Observation Recording Number 13. The date: May 5th, 1951. It's been over two weeks since the fruits of our labor were revealed and the results were supposed to have been worth it. The blood, sweat, and tears we paid for to bring the two into this world should have been repaid in full within the first few days. Instead the head honchos of Blackberry are hooting and hollering about the costs to use them! Jackhammer and Shutterbug are supposed to ensure security to the citizens, to show them that they are the protectors from our foreign enemies. Yet...they treat the two as nothing more than props to show off! Idiots! These two are itching to get out of the House and show the country what they are made of and the mayor wants to use them for his reelection campaign like they are his own version of the Secret Service. It frustrates me. (Sigh) Dr. Walsh keeps telling me to make sure they are ready for continued field testing in the meantime. I'll do so, as long as I can keep Shutterbug from talking to me. His constant nagging gets annoying but Jackhammer just seems to think little of it. Speaking of which we found out recently that Jack's voice has suddenly started working. Apparently I forgot to flip a switch during his start up process. Whoops."

He pushed the button to stop the recording just in time to hear that all too familiar whirling of Shutterbug's diesel engine. "Hey there, Doc! What ya up to?"

"'Bug, I really do not want to say anything at the moment," said the doctor as politely as he possibly could. It was no secret that the doctor and the 'Bug didn't have the finest terms of friendship. While 'Bug's constant talking was humorous at first it quickly became like a bad joke to Burk.

Too bad the little flying automaton didn't get the hint. "Feeling down and out? How 'bout I sing you a song? That ought to cheer you right on up."

Burk's eyes went wide and he shook his head, "Please no-"

As loud as his voice box could handle the bot began to excellently butcher a song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, while being oblivious to the doctor covering his ears with his hands. He pressed his hands so hard against his head that he could have popped his brain like a zit and he wouldn't have cared.

A heavy-handed fist came down on top of Shutterbug's head, sending him to the floor and sparks flew as his gears tried to maintain functioning from the pressure.

"Knock it off, 'Bug," said Jackhammer who had somehow snuck up on both the doctor and his partner without so much as a warning. Despite weighing over five hundred pounds and being nearly eight feet tall, Jackhammer could be as quiet as a sprinkler when compared to the fire hose his partner tended to be.

As expected Shutterbug wasn't happy. "You big palooka! Why'd you do that?!"

"Time to do more tests, says Doc Walsh. Let's go."

Burk lowered his hands, glad to hear the distinct Brooklyn accent of the hulking Jackhammer. Burk hadn't set his voice to that but as he couldn't change it he left it the way it was.

"Fine, let us be off an' do business, I guess," said bug, his diesel powered engine kicking back into the right gear.

Burk was glad that he could be left alone. The room shook as Jackhammer made his exit with Shutterbug flying near him. He loaded a new reel of audio tape into the recorder. He had to do one more log before returning to the main lab. He pushed the button to record his message before speaking.

"May 5th, 1951. Ever since the reveal critics have lambasted Doctor Walsh for Jackhammer's design, saying it was too bulky. The engine on his back made him look too much like Quasimodo instead of Hercules. The way of the future is diesel power. Sadly as much as we have given into that sort of power it was still a drawback. The engine was made slightly more compact and moved to Jack's chest, though parts of it still stuck out his back slightly such as the antenna for the radio/video communications, but such an obvious vital organ needed to be reinforced otherwise he wouldn't make it far in Blackberry. We encased the engine with a thick shield of titanium and that solved that problem. Now he looked like a medieval knight with his new armor redesign. Children called him 'Tin Man' upon seeing him for the first time. However there was one other issue that needed to be addressed: fuel consumption. On normal diesel fuel Jack could run for approximately three days without refueling. This drastically changed after his first day of combat testing. He performed exceptionally well, but seemed to be exhausted after that. Doc Walsh asked that I discover a way, any way at all, to ensure he could run for as long as possible to avoid complaints from the spooks in Washington about fossil fuel costs. I did, though it did not sit well with him once he found out. Recently I discovered a power source in the form of a stone buried in an old subway system under New York City. It glowed amber red, and while it seemed to be nothing special I still took it back to my lab and did some tests. It was an amazing find, it enhanced diesel fuel to perform nearly one hundred times better than normal. It also lowered Jack's consumption to near zero. So, I took it upon myself to replace Jack's outdated power core with the stone and attached all the wires and tubes to ensure his entire being was attached to it. The next combat trial proved to be beyond explanation. Much like the heart in any living creature, should the core be removed he would cease to function. Luckily he would have to be incapacitated to be able to get close to him and he isn't one to let others get too close. Combat trials will continue until we get the word to the send the duo into Blackberry for their first tour. In the meantime, there's a design for an automaton I am in the process of finishing. I think Jack and 'Bug as well as Doc Walsh will get a kick out of this once it's done. This lab needs a woman's touch."

He pushed the STOP button and went to archive his recording, forgetting to put the folder on his desk away. The word 'Dahl was on the cover in big red letters.


	3. Infection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth-98, a virus ravishes the earth and those who can do their best to survive as other forces try to take advantage of the situation. Polar opposites Xander and Odette find themselves on opposite ends of the same side, and do their best to live through the new world they live in...

The mid-summer heat was beating down on the shanty town in the industrial district. Hundreds of people had been forced out of their homes in the infected suburbs out of safety concerns and packed in like sardines into shacks made of metal and wood. Sanitation was less than ideal and thus the whole place smelled terribly.

But that was minor with the soldiers walking around. Covered from head to toe in dark red armor and armed with automatic rifles with air and fuel tanks on their backs. These soldiers were members of AXIS and were tasked with law and order in place of local authorities.

Too bad they didn't take that job with any sense of dedication in mind.

Three soldiers walked into the shanty town section and were not in a good mood.

"Why does Command always send up out on patrol? I'm sick of this shit."

The middle one, the sergeant named Miller, held a flamethrower in his hands. The safety for that weapon was off as per protocol. "Because Starnes you're green to this operation. Command wants you to learn how to defend yourself before going into the hotter areas."

"I know sarge but I still want to kill shit, not be here where it's too quiet."

The third soldier sighed loudly. "If we didn't go through with this we'd end up as red stains on the asphalt. There are monsters downtown that would make you shit yourself Starnes."

"Really Riley? I want to see them for myself now."

"Shut it. Time for standard ops for the day. See those civvies? Take care of them."

He pointed over to a cluster of civilians gathered around a rundown shack. All of them were wearing face masks to protect them from the heavy stench in the air. The stench of death and fire was all around and rampant.

The soldiers raised their guns but it was the sarge who gave the orders as usual. "Okay, hands on your heads and don't fucking try anything, otherwise we'll shoot."

It wasn't a mere threat. AXIS soldiers more often than not used force for the littlest reasons, as undisciplined as they tended to be they were efficient. The people got in line rather lazily, and one person was hunched on the ground like he had major abominable problems.

Starnes 'lightly' kicked the down man to try and make him move, "Sarge said get up, man, now move!"

The downed civilian groaned in pain before looking up at Starnes. The soldier gasped at what he saw. The man had a heavily swollen face and grotesque features. His hands had morphed from five fingers to three stubby digits, but the most insightful were the swollen blisters that covered his chest and face, filled to bursting with green puss.

Though his mask hid his expression Starnes was scared. "S-Sarge! We have an infected!"

The more experienced soldier grabbed Starnes by the shoulder and pulled him back. Just in time as the now fully infected man launched himself at the other civilians who were not infected.

It killed two other men before the sarge used his flamethrower. The spray of five hundred degree flames covered the infected and the two newly dead civilians. The other civilians tried to flee but more soldiers from a nearby checkpoint began to close down the area.

As soon as the three corpses had proved to be nothing but that the sarge called into command through his radio. "Command this is Cobra Patrol Delta. Sector 4 has signs of infection. Request orders."

He asked out of respect for command. He knew what the answer would be.

"THIS IS COMMAND, PERMISSION TO ERADICATE SECTOR 4 HAS BEEN GRANTED. PROCEED WITH CLEANSING. OVER."

The sarge seemed happy to hear that. "Seems you'll get your wish today Starnes."

The three soldiers raised their weapons at the civilians and opened fire without a second thought.

From the darkened end of an alley nearby a single person watched from the safety of the dark. No one had noticed him, at least not yet. A Caucasian man wearing a biohazard jacket and tattered blue jeans covered in minor scorch marks. Wearing a tatter dark yellow jacket it shouldn't have been difficult to spot him, but one would suppose luck was on his side. Short raven hair, the man was in his mid-twenties and yet were one to look past his green eyes they would find little in terms of a past. That's because other than his own name, Xander Kane knew nothing about his past.

He shirked back into the alley, his mind already made up. 'I better hit the road before this place goes up in smoke...'

He moved down to the far end of the alley, intending to go south towards the industrial district. Sunnyvale had been a popular coal town in the early 20th century and though that industry was in decline the refineries were still up. Due to the situation in the city the buildings had been forced to shut down operations and were initially closed up. However when the situation in the suburbs deteriorated much faster than AXIS had thought possible they had been turned into makeshift shelters for the homeless. They were safe for some, but they weren't clean.

All he had to do was cross the bridge a few blocks up and Xander would be safe, for the time being at least.

"Hey you, get back here!"

Xander didn't need to know what that voice belonged to. An AXIS soldier had probably spotted him earlier and followed him. Most likely under orders to see if he was infected or not.

Too bad the man in yellow wasn't going to give him the opportunity to find out. He took off running down the street.

That was a bad idea, evidence given as he ran right into a squad of soldiers, all armed and pointing their weapons right at him.

"Hold it right there!"

Xander didn't know which one had shouted at him but he kept right on running at the group. The soldiers took too long to fire and Xander ran through them like a bowling ball. They were violently knocked to the ground as Xander went on his way, picking up speed like a cheetah. A level of speed a human should not be able to reach in under three seconds...

The man kept running, hoping to not run into anymore soldiers. 'Don't want this to escalate...'

Another shanty town was up ahead, though he knew the soldiers were sure to call in for back up now that they had seen a suspicious bogie running around. Still, Xander would keep on running until he couldn't anymore.

Doctor Franklin Trent sighed in frustration. Though it was only noon he had decided to put in his project log at his lab near St. Mary's General Hospital. He had been excited after retrieving a sample that morning from the Red Zone. His latest model had projections that had guaranteed success with his latest experiments. However, once he had used the infected tissue on a specimen, an obese middle aged man, the result was less than promising. He typed the failed result of his experiment.

'The specimen displayed no symptoms for the first hour before suddenly convulsing in pain. Sedatives were used but proved to be useless. The specimen was detained after attacking and eating another doctor. Two hours later the subject was euthanized per project protocol via the torch chamber.'

And that was that. Another failed experiment, but the amount of work that needed to be done was nowhere near close to being done. That fact alone brought the excitement back to the young doctor. 'The city is nothing but a giant petri dish. I'll have plenty of time and specimens to choose from.'

Finishing up his report the doctor shut down the computer before going outside his tent.

While the main lab had been established in the church next door, all scientists and military personnel of AXIS were ordered to make their living quarters in tents in the large parking lot outside the building. The 'tents' were in fact metal structures that had no air conditioning or electricity to begin with, and with it being in the midst of summer the temperature and humidity were unbearable. Added that all AXIS scientists were to wear red hazmat suits that covered their entire bodies from head to toe didn't make the situation any better.

Trent had grown used to it though. He could put aside such minor inconveniences for the sake of his research. He had always been driven by a thirst for knowledge and nothing was going to change that.

The two soldiers that guarded the door into the tent turned to the doctor but didn't say a word. They weren't paid to ask how he was doing or if he needed a cup of coffee. They had assistants for that, all female to help make the drudgery a bit more bearable.

However, one of the soldiers had something to say. "Dr. Trent, the trucks for the next batch of specimens are ready for deployment."

'Finally,' the doctor thought with a small amount of glee. "Glad to hear it. Go out and get a wide variety of people. Wide as range in terms of body type and ethnicities as possible but please avoid any obese ones. They've proven useless in my studies."

The soldier responded with a yes sir before he and the other left to go about their business. The soldiers had been going about in armored trucks taking people off the street for use in the experiments. That was authorized by management per Dr. Trent's recommendations, long as the results were mostly successful.

While he was happy with the opportunity to see what the virus could do to living humans the fact that he hadn't had much luck in diversity put a strain on his patience.

He had to find other more viable specimens.

Two soldiers near a truck ready to go finished briefing their comrades before they climbed into the truck and driving off. Two other soldiers remained.

"You two," said the doctor as he approached them.

"Sir?" said the first soldier.

Obedient at least. "I want you to look around at the refugees around the church and help me look for new specimens."

They didn't ask why they should take orders from a lab rat. All AXIS soldiers were subject to orders from a scientist were the need to arise without question.

"Sure sir. Anyone specific?"

Trent knew what he wanted for his next batch of experiments. "Females of varying age and body types. But avoid any fatties, they waste my time and energy."

The soldiers saluted and went about their orders.

Trent couldn't wait for the results. He proceeded to head inside the church.

A hospital near the river had been turned into a base of operations for local AXIS forces, and with it came all new problems. The virus caused by the events of three weeks ago meant containment was top priority. The hospital had been closed off to all none-authorized personnel and that left the countless civilians suffering from the effects of the virus as well as other ailments to fend for themselves. That usually meant they died without a second thought.

Nurses and doctors who worked in the place tried to lobby for treatment but were denied or even ignored by upper ranks.

Yet there were people who still wanted to help. In the parking lot outside the emergency entrance was a series of makeshift tents where the sick were resting, most awaiting the inevitable death to claim them. Most people avoided these areas for fear of infection save for doctors who genuinely wanted to help and the scientists who wanted to inspect the infected for their own purposes.

There was one such person that preferred the former to the latter.

A young Caucasian woman who could have been more than twenty years old. She wasn't a nurse, as her blue and black waitress uniform which was slightly worn gave evidence to but she had been helping the doctors out with their patients for the last few days. Tall with a voluptuous body Odette was more like a model than a waitress studying to be a nurse. This was also not the way she had thought she'd be learning medical practices. 'Though if father were to hear of this he would no doubt say his little lamb has grown up…' she thought with a smile. That same smile helped a teenager through the morphine shot she had given him earlier, said it eased the pain. She felt flattered at the time and remained so, even after the young man had left. Though she had helped a dozen people already the number never seemed to get smaller. Now she was standing over a cot where a woman was curled up into a ball in pain.

"Ma'am, please let me see where you're hurt. I might be able to help…" she tried to speak in English, but as it wasn't her first language she could just barely make words out without stumbling over herself.

Though her message was received, the woman continued to groan in pain, unable to unwind her body. The pain was too much. It had been that way for the last few hours. Most of the time that was a clear sign of infection and thus not a sign to be hopeful for.

Yet Odette wasn't going to give up on this woman.

"S'il vous plait madame, I am going to get some food for you, maybe some medicine as well. I'll be back."

The French born woman got up and left the tent. She walked barefoot across the parking lot and to the provisions tent. Though the quarantine had lasted a few months food was still in high demand, reserved mostly for the AXIS soldiers and scientist while heavily rationed to the rest of the civilian population. The hospital was running low on food itself, and though they had called on AXIS for assistance they had been largely ignored. Odette herself had eaten little in the last few days. That and the lack of sleep was beginning to wear her down physically, leaving her hands shaky whenever she applied bandages to the wounded. She had only eaten enough to keep herself from falling over.

She believed she could handle it however. 'Most people around here look more emancipated than me. They need the food more than me.'

Bread with cheese and water was all that could be salvaged from their remaining stores and Odette felt depressed at that detail. Still a plate of scraps was better than nothing in her mind and she tried to figure out how she was going to give this to the woman when she saw someone enter her peripheral vision. A bright yellow tattered coat.

She knew who it was and wore a weak smile. "Monsieur Thorn, good to see you again..."

Xander looked as if he was going to stop to speak to the young woman, maybe even ask if she was alright. However he just walked past her and into the tent. He was hungry and nothing was going to prevent him from some grub.

Yet when he got inside all he got was scrap and that didn't set well with him. He received his plate and walked outside and expelled his grief. "This won't last me even half a day...the fuck is it with the lack of food?"

"Emergency rations were supposed to be given yesterday but soldiers came and-"

Before Odette had finished explaining Xander finished his 'meal' and threw the plate the ground irritated as hell. "Same old shit, the soldiers come and screw up everything." His anger was unfiltered and it frightened Odette.

"Calm down, Xander."

"Calm down? I've been all over the fucking neighborhood looking for supplies. People are either being dicks and hoarding for themselves or AXIS is killing them and taking it. I'll calm down once I find something better than what I just had."

Odette had only known Xander for a couple weeks and yet she knew his temper was beyond terrible. Saying he had a short fuse was a severe understatement. The last time he had been pushed beyond his limit he beat a soldier so bad he put him into a coma. Though he hadn't threatened her with force before Odette was still on edge whenever he was angry, with a high level of uncertainty and fear on if he would ever actually hurt her.

"Then next time give that so called grub to someone who appreciates it instead of complaining."

With heavy steps Xander got closer to her, appearing to size the woman up. "Don't fucking talk to me like that."

The difference in height between them was only a couple inches. Still, she treated the situation as if she were a cornered animal. While she was only slightly shorter than him Odette gave him a glare that spoke volumes about what she thought of his attitude. There was something about the normally compassionate Odette when she was serious that made people turn their heads. Merciful as an angel but a genuine hellcat when pushed far enough.

Whatever it was, whether it was her eyes telling him to or something else, the man backed up a couple steps, albeit small ones. She had repelled him.

"...better than nothing I guess..." he begrudgingly uttered before putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

Odette took the moment to wipe the sweat off her forehead. The heat of the summer was making her miserable and Xander's attitude didn't help the situation.

"I guess supplies would be hard to find when these fascist fuckers are running around stealing shit," said Xander, turning away from her.

"...they came by the hospital again late last night," said Odette.

Xander kept his thoughts to himself this time. 'No surprise. They seem to be locking down the area tighter each day.' He put the hood of his jacket up over his head, "Not my problem what they do."

Odette couldn't understand how he could be that way. "How can you say that? People are suffering because of them and you could care less."

"Because when it comes down to it, survival is all that matters. You can help as many people as you want, but your own life should take priority. If it came down to me or the person next to me, I'd go with saving my own ass each time."

"That's cruel..."

"No, that's how you survive. Take notes, your life will depend on it."

Shaking her head slowly, Odette refused to accept that logic. Yes, it made sense, but that didn't mean it set well with her. Call her naive but she believed that her life shouldn't take precedence over others. "Toute vie est précieuse..."

All life is precious.

Xander hadn't heard her, not that he would have reacted had he been able to.

"...so what will you do next?"

Crossing his arms over his chest Xander looked around. Seeing people suffering around him left little impact on his psyche. All he thought about was what was sure to come next. "Most likely move to a different neighborhood. AXIS seems to be more thorough with its cleansing of the virus. No doubt they will move onto this area before long." He sighed, "I know you won't listen but I am saying this now: forget these people and leave before you become barbeque."

He didn't want to wait for her response, but he knew her enough to expect what she would say, and he took off walking towards the street.

'Some day, Xander, you might find yourself in enough trouble that someone could risk their life for yours.' Odette didn't speak aloud, as she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't listen. Instead she returned to the tent, where she felt more at home helping others, and so she wouldn't feel as depressed otherwise. She brought her plate to the woman she had been talking to earlier.


	4. 004: Gaol on Earth-66

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North of London, EARTH-66. Jericho Creed is caught and thrown into a jail worse than any else in Britain, run by the enthralled of the Great One named Legion. Next to him is the desperate-and exceptionally beautiful-Eclipsa. She wants out, and he isn't playing fair when she tries to bargain...

A small low hanging light dangled precariously above Jericho's head. It looked as if it was going to fall any second. Yet given the state of the jail itself he was surprised there were any lights left to have save for torches. "Still if it were to it'd probably land on my head...wouldn’t that be a laugh?"

He smirked, finding humor in his own joke. It was one way to pass the time. Being stuck in a jail cell in a room the size of a standard two car garage, alone somewhat, with only one source of light and no windows, as well as in a dank decrepit place like this was boring to him. Had he been here of his own volition he would have left long ago.

As it stood, it wasn’t his choice to be here.

A light from the far side of the room, near the exit door came into view. A tall man in grey and red robes appeared. His face was covered by a hood while he held a torch in one hand and what looked like a chain in the other. The metal chain led behind him to a line of prisoners, all of whom wore collars around their necks and were attached to each other by chains. Three men and a woman were all escorted to a cell alone. The woman was shoved into the cell on Jericho's right, collar still attached to her slender throat. She wore rags that covered enough of her body to give her some measure of dignity, and yet there was enough exposed that Jericho liked what he saw. Curves in all the right places reminded Jericho of the last time he saw a gorgeous woman. Of course, in his life time that was few and far between, given the state of the world. That was why he had a bit of interest in her looks, even if the woman was in dire state. While that was wrong Jericho didn’t care.

Speaking of the woman...

Once the door had been closed and locked tight the woman got up from the hard stone floor and tried to shake the metal bars to escape but to no avail. "Bastards! Let me out of here!"  
She had a pixie top haircut and what looked to be reddish in color. Jericho couldn’t tell in the low level of light that came from her cell. The man in the robes ignored her and kept up his pace as he threw the rest of the men into the cell on Jericho's right. Seems keeping them all separate by gender was important, though why Jericho was alone was anyone's guess. He got up from his spot on the floor and looked at the wrist watch on his left arm. "What is taking so long..."

"Hey you."

Jericho turned and saw that the woman was speaking to him. "What?"

"How long have you been 'ere?"

'Her accent...Cockney maybe?', Jericho thought to himself. He crossed his arms over his chest. "First day vacancy. What's it to you?"

"Is there any way to get out of here?"

The Brit found humor in this question. So he returned it with a bit of his own. "...through that door." He pointed to the way she had come in, that he had come in a few hours before. "Back up the stairs, down a hall and take a left to another door to a lobby and out through a pair of big wooden doors to the outside."

She blinked, "You memorized the way out?" She hadn’t even paid enough attention to know.

"Not the first time I’ve found myself in here, sweetheart. Though this is one time I would have preferred I hadn’t." Jericho looked around his cell, specifically the ceiling which also had metal bars going across it to prevent prisoners from escaping. "Those bars weren’t here before though..."

"Must suck, having escaped only to be brought back. That or you're just unlucky," said the woman who placed her hands on the bars in front of her. It was here that Jericho got a better look at her. She did have reddish copper hair and hazel eyes. However what he couldn’t help looking at was her chest, covered partially by the rags given to her by the prison guards. They barely covered the curves of her breasts and straining against the cloth. He liked his she had curves but not an hourglass figure, as well as appeared all natural.

She had been looking away at the moment and when she turned back to him he had turned his eyes elsewhere. Not out of respect or fear of how she'd react to him eyeing her body with a lustful gaze, but the fact that he had other things that required his attention. 

'Where the hell is that little ass wipe?'

"What is it?"

The woman's question as Jericho looked at his cell door brought his eyes back to her. "Nothing. What's your name?"

"I'm Eclipsa Lynch, from the southern coast. And yours?"

"Creed. Jericho Creed."

Introductions aside, Eclipsa went ahead. "What brings you here? I was out scavenging for food when I was captured."

Jericho raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: by a guy the size of a gorilla carrying a large rough sack over his shoulder?"

Eclipsa nodded, "Sodding bloke got me by surprise. Took everything from me included the clothes on me back...but it looks like you got away better than me."

If she meant in one piece Jericho agreed. Those guys with the sacks were called Swipers. They kidnap people that haven’t been converted into followers and place them in jails similar to the one Jericho and Eclipsa found themselves in now. Stealing everything on the person as they take them, everything down to the very clothes they wore, and taking them to the nearest gaol. Jericho had been lucky to have a few followers of Legion rough him up and take him earlier. Eclipsa wasn’t so fortunate, obviously.

"Anyway..." Jericho brought his eyes back to the woman all the while trying not to stare at her chest (a Herculean effort, on his part). "This place is going to be active in a few hours."

"What do they plan to do to us?"

"Convert us into followers of Legion...or if that fails, turn us into meat to feed their lapdogs." Jericho was unapologetic about what he said, and Eclipsa's eyes went wide.

"They plan to cannibalize us?!"

Shrugging his shoulders Jericho went on, "Folks got to eat somehow, right? Though I would imagine you would be better used somewhere else."

"Huh?"

"A woman like you would be better off as a concubine or a priestess. They tend to prefer young virgins for that sort of shit," said the Brit, trailing off the possibilities of Eclipsa's fate, none of which were good in the long run.

Yet one detail he spoke about hit her in a sensitive spot. "Virgin? Who says I’m a virgin?!"  
Jericho raised an eyebrow, "No one...but are you?"

Putting her arms across her impressive chest the woman turned with her chin raised high her cheeks as red as her hair. "Bugger off."

An hour passed and though the gaol was quiet Jericho's mind was not so silent. He was getting anxious. 'Where the hell is that creeper?!'

He was going to have to gnaw his way out of the cell if he didn’t get answers soon.  
Eclipsa had distanced herself from him and rightfully so, she obviously felt nothing but disdain for him. He didn’t mind, however. His luck with women usually went south after the first meeting.  
So his attention went back to where his compatriot could be. "Booger, you better not be slacking..."

"What'd you say," said Eclipsa, sitting in the dark corner of her cell with her knees to her chest.

He paced his cell like a nervous animal. Not out of fear but anxiousness. "Something I know should have been here by now, that’s all."

She chuckled, "You must be cracking already if you're thinking someone is out there waiting to see you."

She had expected him to insult her or even laugh.

Yet she didn’t expect something out of the ordinary from him.

"Maybe there is," he said cryptically.

She turned to him, tilting her head slightly, confusion all over her face. Getting to her feet Eclipsa felt excitement beginning to go up her spine. Could he have a way out of this?" She grabbed onto the bars of the cell. "You better not be shittin' me, Creed. Do you have a way out or not?"

Sighing lightly, Jericho gave a creepy half smile, like he knew the secrets of the world and wasn’t going to let anyone else in on the scoop. "Maybe..."

Eclipsa wasn’t one to play games, "Fuckin' hell, would you please give a straight answer?"

Before he could answer her, Jericho heard something coming from above him on the roof of his cell to be exact.

Both he and Eclipsa looked up and while she gasped in surprise, Jericho felt elation.

"About damn time."

On the roof of the cell was a creature with dark grey skin which helped him meld into the darkness of the gaol to only his neon green eyes could be seen. As well as a wide grin with many razor sharp teeth.  
"Oi, Jeri! It's been a half-moon since I last saw ya!"

The creature's voice was raspy and otherworldly and yet spoke like a person on the street greeting an old friend.

"More than a few hours to be precise. What'd you find, Booger?" Jericho was not at all disturbed that he was talking to an imp that made Gollum tame in comparison.

The creature literally squeezed itself between the bars with little effort and climbed down using the ceiling light before dropping onto the floor. He was the size of a toddler, slightly hunched over and with claws instead of fingers on three digit hands.

"Legionnaires all over the damn place, getting out might be a bit trickier than last time. That and--oh? What'd you got 'ere Jeri?"

The imp's attention had gone to Eclipsa, who was eyeballing him with nothing short of astonishment.

Jericho couldn’t help but find her expression humorous, even if underneath he was surprised she could see the imp at all. Very few people knew of Booger's existence, and those who did see him thought of him as nothing less than another cosmic demon or a figment of their imagination. That or the Brit was losing his fucking mind, since most of the time they saw him talking to himself like a loon.

"This is Eclipsa and she can see you apparently," answered Jericho.

Booger climbed onto the bars right in front of the woman, "Can she, eh? Tan me hide and call me an angel." Eclipsa took a step back, her breath caught in her throat. She could smell the creature's breath, it smelled of garbage. That disgust went up a notch a second later. ""What do you know Jeri, she's quite the looker. Hair could be longer but oh boy those knockers!"

Eclipsa gasped and covered her chest with her arms, extremely offended. "Excuse me?!"

"Just complimentin' your milk jugs, love. You could feed many kids with 'em." The imp turned to Jericho and gave a not so subtle whisper, "Very noice, Jeri."

Jericho agreed wholeheartedly.

The woman took an angered swing with a closed fist at the demon but he slipped back onto Jericho's side and avoided the blow. Not that it could have possibly hurt him anyway. "Feisty too! Daddy like."

Eclipsa was going to blow a gasket, but even though he was getting a personal kick out of it Jericho turned the matter back to the problem at hand. "Booger. I need to get out of here."

Booger blew Eclipsa a kiss before turning to his 'master' of sorts. She flipped him the bird in response.

"Oi, and I gots just the tool for that job, Jeri," the imp reached into a void within its own chest and pulled out a metal object. A dagger from the looks of it, with a near twelve inch long shiny serrated silver blade and the name Mae etched into the side.

"Ah, perfect." Jericho seemed pleased.

"There's one other thing, Jeri. Seems the loons of this place have a new jailer, looks like a walking pin cushion with nails and spikes sticking out of its skin. Carries an axe too, but the eyes are covered by a metal plate. Seems to be blind as a bat but hearin' is through the roof."

Jericho held onto the knife in his right hand and inspected the blade while he listened. "Duly noted. And what about Shuck?"

"He should be up top about to spring the diversion. Best be ready."

Nodding once Jericho quickly heard a heavy bell begin to ring from above. A church bell he knew that was used to signal the Legionnaires in the area. "Seems he has started."

The imp climbed the cell wall and made its way over to the door, "Ill unlock the door for you--"

Jericho however, had another idea. "Wait. I got a plan."

As soon as the bells started to ring above the follower of Legion who had brought the prisoners to the jail returned below. He had heard a loud metal clang had had mindlessly decided to investigate. Once down below he saw the female prisoner still in her cell as were the three men in the third cell. 

However the second cell, where the lone man he had captured earlier in the day should have been was empty, the door to his cell on the stone floor as it had been knocked off the hinges and now lay.

Unconcerned the man went ahead and foolishly dropped his guard when he passed the first cell and stood in front of the door of the second.

That was when Jericho struck. Though the man was a foot taller than he, his left hand grabbed the top of his robed head while his other drove the dagger into the side of the follower's neck. A gurgled scream followed, no sound came as a fountain of blood flew from the new wound and landed on the floor. The man raised his hands to possibly try and remove the violently inserted dagger but they soon fell lifelessly to dangle at his sides.

The blood from the now deceased man covered the majority of Jericho's right arm. He didn’t care, as evidenced by how he callously tossed the dead man to the floor. "Fuckers..."

Eclipsa had watched with shock at how this man who had a twisted sense of humor had just murdered a man in ice cold blood and cared little if not at all at what he had done.

Booger came back down from the ceiling, having watched the whole thing unfold from above. "Seems ye haven’t lost yer touch, Jeri."

Jericho looked up at his familiar, "Since when did I even seem to lose it?" He knelt down next to the corpse and after a bit of searching found what he was looking for. The key to the upper level. "This should help me get out..."

"What about me?"

Returning to his feet Jericho had heard Eclipsa but he didn’t even look at her. "What about you?"

"You're going to let the rest of us out, right?"

The thought had never crossed the man's mind. "Nope."

The woman looked as if she had been insulted, one worse than earlier. "What?!"

"Look sweetheart, shit goes downhill fast when I’m around. Not that I wouldn’t mind the beautiful company you would provide but you'd end up hanging from a lamp post in the city before long."

"Stop being such a prick. I can handle myself."

Booger dropped down from the ceiling, "Uh-huh..." He was obviously not convinced.  
Neither was Jericho. "Call me chauvinistic but if you ended up in here via a kidnapper you've obviously never been able to handle outside, little girl."

"You leave me here I will haunt you for the rest of your miserable existence," she threatened.

To her surprise Jericho chuckled, "You wouldn’t be the first."

He turned to leave, not wanting to see what would happen if he lingered for too long. Booger was already going towards the stairs, stopping only to wave his hand to hurry him along.

"Creed. Wait!"

"So long, Eclipsa--"

Even as he began to walk he heard her say his name once more just out of curiosity he turned.

And there he saw a rather provocative sight. Eclipsa had pulled the rags that covered her chest down to where the swell of her breasts were exposed, barely hanging on over the nubs and only supported by her hands.

Jericho's response? Eyes roaming her exposed body and heat rising in his groin. "Hmm." Now she had his attention. "This your idea of a bargain?"

"You said yourself it’s been awhile since you saw a gorgeous woman." Letting out a slow breath the now sultry looking woman before him uttered rather nervously but it turned him on slightly more. "You get this, and more, if you help me."

"Look or touch?"

"Whichever you prefer. Let me out, and I will let you in. What do you say?"

The answer to that was damn obvious. He may not be the smartest man in England or what was left of the world but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let this pass him by. 

"You drive a hard bargain."

He reached for the key and unlocked the door.


	5. 005: After Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakk Tribal ends his day of being a demon Slayer by going to his favorite place: the Paradiso, where he is served by the closest friend he has. A piece of heaven on earth for the servant of God.

The story was the same as it usually was in Crystal Cove, Massachusetts. Demons popped up, the Slayers did their job and annihilated the monsters as per regulations. Things went south and yet the slayers did what they could to protect the city. And though they succeeded there were some things that were unavoidable. Including the shouting as a young man darted out of the main office, slamming the door behind him, glad to be out of there. Wearing a long sleeved purple shirt and black pants, the shirt had a large white cross emblem on the front. The voice of a mightily pissed off old man was still echoing after him even through the door.

"Wow…why get so pissed off about that?"

Dakk Tribal sighed of relief though. "I think now would be a good time to Still he smiled knowing his work day was technically over. Now he had one last place to go before he would go and rest.

Though the Order of Magdalene was based in a church and had been organized by it there were some things in the place one would not expect to find nor thought would be possible to find. No doubt a bar would be the last thing anyone would expect to find in a church basement, but sure enough there was an establishment known as Paradiso located there. A half dozen wooden tables and chairs and a long wooden counter with a large silver cross hanging behind it. The look of the bar hadn't changed since the early eighties, but it was tidy thanks to the guidelines put in place by considerate managers. While it was nothing one would go out of their way to find to party at it served its purpose for those slayers needing a break or a drink to take the pressure off their shoulders.

Not a restaurant by any means, just a relaxing spot for the war weary slayers.

The twenty-one year old veteran slayer went straight to the bar and took a seat, not surprised to see no one managing the place. It was well before sunrise and as far as he knew he was the only one on the late night shift.

Taking a seat on the stood Dakk tapped the wooden counter with his fingers, patiently waiting for someone to come out. He could do it himself if need be but before he could even think of that, he saw someone come out from the back room.

His eyes went slightly wide with interest at who it was. "Serenity? What are you doing up at this hour?"

A beautiful young woman, late teens or early twenties with long curly red hair, wearing a white and pink t-shirt with the Latin word Veritas on the front as well as bleached white denim short shorts. Her face was as happy go lucky as Dakk recalled ever seeing her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Part time thing. Besides, I got done with a late night training session with Zeig and Father Nathan. They drove the recruits hard and most of them retired for the night. Some wanted to come here for a drink and I got some barista practice in." Serenity Christopher, daughter of the previous head of the Order and rookie slayer, wasn't known to be a night owl. That and though he had known her since he was a toddler, Dakk had never seen her serve at the Paradiso. She grabbed a double shot glass and set it on the counter. "You seem to have come here for a drink too."

"Just got done with a patrol of Lincoln Square. No doubt you heard how my report went."

He was referring to the shouting he had endured from his superior earlier.

"Yeah," Serenity smiled. She knew the details of the incident from the Pastor but she wanted to hear Dakk's side of the story. "Bu I'd like to hear it in your words. What happened?"

"I was on my motorbike chasing a pair of runaway demons through downtown, avoiding pedestrians and trying to take them down. I managed to force them into Lincoln Square and after a short battle I got them…all at the cost of an ice cream parlor and three parked cars. Not to mention damage to a monument of that mayor from the fifties. No one got hurt 'cept for me getting a few cuts and bruises on my arms but I still got an earful from Sister Rose and Father Wade." Sharing incident reports between slayers was normally frowned upon, since some were sensitive missions, but as Dakk and Serenity had been working together for five years he didn't give a giggle and held nothing back as a response.

Serenity poured whiskey into the shot glass, stopping just shy of the rim. "Sounds like a typical day in the line of duty for you."

Dakk smirked playfully, "How so?"

"No one got hurt and you caused thousands of dollars of damage to property. Not to mention you got a scolding from management. Just another day for you." She went to stand in front of him and set the glass down in front of him. "Here's your reward."

Taking the glass Dakk didn't even have to ask what kind of drink she gave him. She knew his tastes in liquor. He raised his glass, "To God and Mary Magdalene."

He drank it in one go. The cinnamon flavor was sweet to the tongue and it sent a jolt up his back.

Setting the glass back on the counter. "By the way, Miss Christopher, is it legal for you to be a barista at your age?"

He wasn't close to be being drunk but his humor was always a trait of his that Serenity appreciated and admired. She knew he was joking around. So she responded with one of her own. "I don't know, Dakk is it legal for you to be out past curfew?"

The slayer chuckled, "Good point." He traced the edge of the glass with his finger. "Think I could have another?"

"You sure?"

"I'm not buzzed in the slightest. I'll also be heading to bed once I leave here. I'll sleep it off."

Trusting him Serenity took the glass and decided to take the opportunity to show off her skills. "Okay, but I want you to taste test a drink I came up with recently."

Sitting up Dakk nodded, "Sure. What is it?"

She moved with such speed and precision Dakk knew she had put a lot of time and effort into practicing her skills. Liquor shaken, not stirred with a minor amount of ice added. Dakk didn't know how the process worked nor had he felt the need to know any fancy drink combination. All he knew was that by the time she was done, Serenity gave him a drink that had a blue color and some ice in it.

"Here." She handed the glass to him. "I call it the Saint."

Thinking it was a simple title Dakk took the drink in his hand. The blue color was a bit off putting to him, reminding him of those blue Jolly Rancher candies but he thought little of it otherwise. 'Don't want to disappoint her.' He shrugged his shoulders, "Well you only live once." He took a sip.

The sweetened taste was more powerful than the whiskey had been, like a fruit cocktail with a mountain of sugar added to it. Yet once the initial contact passed and the drink went down his throat Dakk couldn't help but take another sip. Then another, and finally a third that finished off the drink entirely.

"Wow…" he said as he set the glass back on the counter. "Holy mother of God that was sweet." Then he added with an unapologetic flirty tone and looked her right in the eye, "Beautiful, just like you."

Serenity was bashful at his sincerity and a noticeable blush as red as her hair came over her cheeks. He was a known flirter, and no one knew that more than her. "Ha, thank you."

Getting up from his seat, knowing if he had another he would have a dizzy spell, Dakk decided to make his exit. "Well, I best get to bed. The cycle of doing God's work never ends."

She took the empty glass and started to clean it while the music on the jukebox went to a slow rock song from a 80s hair band. "I agree."

"But it's all worth it." He took a few twenty dollar bills out of his front pocket and set them on the counter in front of her. "Here you go."

"Dakk you don't have to pay for the drinks."

"I know. That's your tip."

Though there was a limit on how much people were free to drink, there was no price on any of it thus money wasn't necessary. Knowing she wouldn't accept it otherwise, Dakk pushed the cash towards his friend.

She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer Serenity smiled and took the money. "I suppose I owe you a favor?"

"Well, if you want to be nice I wouldn't mind some of that strawberry cheesecake you make," he replied, unable to hold back the biggest grin Serenity had ever seen. It was a smile that made everyone around him, even those with a stone heart, appreciate having Dakk around. Serenity was a good cook, having helped make the meals for charities and the like, but her personal desserts were a favorite with her close friends. That meant Dakk was at the top when it came to taste testing. Serenity couldn't turn him down. "Sure. I'll make one this week."

Dakk immediately was ecstatic. "Yes! Thanks, you're the best."

"No problem," she looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, you best better go rest before your next shift." Then she added, "As well as get the liquor out of your system."

The corner of his mouth curved into a smirk, "Yes, ma'am." He got off the stool and grabbed the sword he had brought with him and held it in his left hand. "Good night, serenity."

She looked her close friend in the eye, seeing how tired he was, grateful he was going to rest. "Good night Dakk."

He gave her a wave before turning and walking out the door.

There was work to be done, and while there was no rest for the wicked, for every slayer rest was important. Even for a hard worker like Dakk Tribal.


	6. 006: Bastille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> South of Paris, Earth-89. The country of France is on the brink of revolt and revolution, and the only ones who seem to care is the Duchess of Austria and her three guardians known as the Queensguard. Little do they know, they are more right than they could ever believe...

Spring, 1789

Palace Versailles, 12 miles south of Paris

The night was young and the party was still going strong. Men and women, all nobility of varying wealth and relation to monarchies including that of the French monarchy. The party had filled up the palace to where it spilled out into the lavish gardens frequented by Queen Antoinette and her children.

The Queen herself wasn't there now, but her husband Louis was as he entertained guests and friends, all while his ministers had all but left him to his own devices.

The front gate of the palace, manned by only four armed guards dressed in royal blue uniforms, had been forced to not eat or drink for the last few hours. Yet they didn't complain for fear of disrespecting the royal family. Thus they weren't on high alert and were tired.

A carriage bearing the emblem of the Hapsburg family on the side approached them, their shoulders straightened and they got into position to welcome the rather late arrival. the first guard opened the door and before he could address the noble out stepped an older man dressed in blue, a uniform that was unusual. It spoke of formality but had scratches and such that showed experience. The man who wore it had a sword strapped to his left hip. A prominent white moustache was above his upper lip, he had wrinkles on his face showing his age to be over fifty. Yet as Captain of the Queensguard Richter Castile was the one who was the right hand of the Duchess he swore to protect.

The soldier raised his free hand, "Ah, welcome to de Palace Versailles."

Richter was followed out by two more similarly clothed men, one wearing bright green and the other a crimson red. Both had wide brimmed hats that had not been used in any guard since the days of Louis XIII. Then, the best was for last, as a woman in an intricate and flamboyant pink and white pastel dress and braided blonde hair, looking no older than thirty stepped out of the carriage.

Richter spoke with a boisterous voice, "Duchess Sophia of the Hapsburg Royal Family."

The soldiers nodded as Sophia offered her own invitation. the seal of her family was enough for her to enter, being related by blood to the Queen of France.

"Ah, milady, please come in. Her Majesty has been expecting you," said the soldier before showing her the way.

Sophia turned to her two other guards. "Juste and Cerise, please remain outside. Richter I wish you to come with me."

All three of them nodded, having been given their orders and thus had nothing more to say. Or should even have to say on the matter.

Yet while the Duchess had spoken her mind without anything afterward, the same could not be said of the elderly Richter. He turned to his subordinates. "Now, please keep your heads high and ears open. Talk of revolt has been rampant recently and we should be on alert. so, please do not fail us."

The young man in red nodded sarcastically. "This means we're on guard duty? Please monsieur, can you give us a more interesting torture?"

"Juste, all you'll do is talk to the ladies or stuff your face of the food instead of taking care of the Duchess," said the third 'man' named Cerise. This man wasn't actually one. Were one to take a closer look they would see a youthful face with ruby red lips and distinctive hazel colored eyes. That's because Cerise was indeed a woman doing a man's job, which was unheard of in the high ranks of the aristocracy. She was also the most level headed one of the trio in the Queensguard.

Juste on the other hand, was the bluntest. "Oh I suppose I am quite the open book to you, Cerise." Said the youngest Queensguard.

Richter knew the two were on the verge of arguing and was not going to be involved. Small wonder he had to convince Sophia to let them stand outside instead of potentially cause a scene in the King's palace. That was the last thing he wanted, on top of embarrassing his charge.

Thus he went unnoticed with Sophia when they started shouting at each other, and their case was only made apparent when the gates were almost closed and they had to squeeze their way in before they were left outside.

Yet they continued to bicker as they made their way to the palace steps.

True to his order they stood outside the palace doors, acting as back up to Richter as he never left the Duchess' side while she conversed in various forms of conversations. As there were parties almost every night at the palace some nobles didn't have much to talk about save for their menial everyday activities. Yet poor Richter was forced to listen to all that which while he understood had to force it all to fly over his head to maintain his focus. Being in the guard for over half his life time he knew the procedure on how to properly be a soldier protecting the Duchess. Had either Cerise or Juste been in the same place they would not be doing as well.

Thus they were outside the doors minding themselves while keeping an eye out for anyone that could be seen as dangerous.

While they could pass the time by talking to the nobles the separation of class made it apparent they had no interest in the Queensguard.

"Look at them, gouging on food while people in Paris wonder in much and starve. Makes me sick." Juste, being born of the lowest class, had nothing but disdain for the aristocracy and he wasn't hiding it.

Cerise on the other hand tended to be better than pure venom in her words. "As someone who has worked for these people for years I think you've gone a bit harsh on them."

"You empathize with the nobles?"

Cerise shook her head, "The starving peasants and lower class can certainly be helped, but changing their minds is next to impossible."

"I've always believed a good knock on the head does wonders," said Juste half-jokingly. He had no qualms about attacking nobles when they deserved it. He had a real short fuse when it came to them. Other than the ladies that is.

But as Cerise was his colleague and not an easy heart to sway with words or drink Cerise was immune to his charm. Yet she was not immune to his often terrible attitude. "Nay, I prefer persuasion to action at times."

"Not me. My sword tends to be my way to handle transgression," said Juste, putting his hand on the handle of his rapier, nicknamed Crimson Thunder. The young man pointed to the sword on Cerise's right hip. Unlike most people skilled with a sword she was left handed. "And you should be more inclined to use yours too."

Defensively Cerise put her hand on the hilt of her own rapier, known to her as Azure Gale, and ran her thumb over the green gem on the end of the handle. She didn't like to use it unless it was necessary.

Yet with revolution brewing in the country of France there was no doubt her hope to never use it to kill would be in vain.

As if he knew what she was thinking Juste spoke. "This country is like a powder keg, and no one is doing anything to sever the fuse while its burning..."

"Well, until it does we have little to worry about for the duchess, no?"

Juste chuckled and walked a few steps away. He was an optimist and Cerise shared this view with him but when the symptoms of the disease known as revolution was this apparent and obvious even he had the idea that it was going to be bad.

Yet he knew for a fact that they also shared another viewpoint. Cerise proudly spoke her mind, "We will protect her, and France, from anyone who would want to destroy them."

"With the power of sword and sorcery, cher ami," Juste said with an arrogant smile. "And I will be the first line of defense."

Cerise rolled her eyes, "You're a fool."

"My disposition must be sunny, the ladies like it."

"Like I said: you're a fool."

Little did they know, that at the infamous fortress known as the Bastille, where the storage of gunpowder and shot was stored the people who sought to bring about the ruin of the monarchy or the country.

these men, dressed in white who happened to be the color of the French royal family, had already killed the guards inside the prison and were in the process of passing out powder to be taken to carts and into Paris proper. By the end of the following day there would be chaos in the streets.

There would be blood. Revolution resulted in nothing less.


	7. 007: Black Diamond Saloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lowtowne, Earth-19. The Black Diamond is a saloon on the outskirts of Lowtowne frequented by anyone needing a drink while they wallow away their existence. Yet there are those who dream higher, to venture to the High Society in the Tower above Lowtowne, and then there's a man named Wynter, who is as mysterious as he is dangerous.

In the vast desert of the Frontier there was nothing for many miles besides mountains and flat plains. Save for the large hulking ebony tower that shot for many stories into the sky. Known as the High Tower, or simply as the Tower, it was home to the high society. Those who could more than afford to live in the clean and orderly conditions lived in absolute luxury.

They paid no mind to those who lived below. Surrounding the base of the Tower was a collection of shanty towns of wooden buildings and industrial industries known collectively as Lowtowne. Those who worked either as miners, hunters, or oil workers lived in this poor part of the world as best they could.

From the outskirts of Lowtowne on the roof of a saloon called the Black Diamond, a girl in a dirty white and brown dress was staring up at the large tower in the distance.

Oh how Wendi Hattfield desired to go from this lowly place to the famed High Society in the Tower.

Oh but what all that would ever be just a dream. While she lived here that is all it would ever be.

A booming voice from below signaled the end of her fantasizing. "Wendi! Break's over, now get yer ass down here!"

Taking a pained breath the girl called back, "Yes sir!"

It was approaching noon and with it the Black Stone was entering one of the busiest times of the day. Lunch break was just starting around Lowtowne and with it all the workers needed to take their breaks from their labor heavy days. And with those breaks the alcohol would flow, and Black Stone was only one of many saloons and bars that would appease them. Compared to other similar establishments the Black Diamond was the biggest. Three floors and two bars inside it could hold over a hundred people on each floor. The entirely wooden structure had weathered desert storms as well as its fair share of ruffians while Mitt Collins ran the place.

Wendi came down the stairs, her heeled boots partially dragging across the wood. She came to the bottom floor just in time for her boss to greet her in his usual way.

"Dammit Wendi you just had to go to the roof again, didn't you? How many times have I told you to remain down here on break so you can help out?"

Old man Mitt Collins was what one would call a strict businessman. Loud voice, big exterior, and not an ounce of consideration in his being. Many of those who worked under him were scared or intimidated by him. Wendi included.

"I'm sorry, sir." All she could do was apologize, fearful of his reaction otherwise.

Still, her words of apology were an old song he had heard many times. "I need you to stay where folks can see you. A pretty face leads these simpleminded fools into the drink. How can you do that if you are on the roof?"

Wendi grabbed a towel off the counter and kept her voice silent. Mitt had five or six waitresses working under him any day of the week, but none of them were hired for their work ethic so to speak. They were hired for their pretty face, big chest, or magnetizing posterior. One of those would suffice, and once they lost the power to bring in customers old Mitt would fire them without a second thought. Never mind that they often had nowhere else to go when they were kicked to the curb. Mitt didn't care; he had a business to run.

A large group of men covered in soot and sweat rumbled through the doors. Loud and happy to enjoy the cool air of the saloon.

All Mitt saw was money. "Now there's some silver to be had. Make 'em happy darlin' and you'll get more out of the pay.'

Wendi eyed the group as they went and sat down in the large circular table in the center of the lobby. Her expression saddened. She knew what he meant. Of all the girls who had gone through the doors of the Diamond, Wendi had been around the longest. And that was not by chance. She had the best combination going for her. Being just shy of eighteen, she had an angelic face and an admirable bosom accentuated by the low cut dress Mitt forced her to wear. Long dirty blonde hair that reached her waist made her unique compared to the dark browns and occasional red head that came through the saloon's doors. A natural beauty, she worked hard to keep Mitt happy for her livelihood depended on it.

"Yes sir. I'll try." She gave a rough cough, one that she tried in vain to hold down but was unusually painful.

"And try to keep that coughin' to a minimum, got it? Those boys won't want a piece of you if they think you're sick."

Putting a hand on her chest Wendi nodded and went to work. She dreaded what could possibly happen next, and all she wanted was to find a way out. Yet that could only be a fantasy.

The doors of the saloon went open as a yet another customer entered the establishment. A man in a wide brimmed traveler's hat, his brown duster was dirty from a long journey to the northern fields. Brown leather with multiple belts around his waist. He was of slender build, different from the Hodge podge of overweight company bosses that tended to come in after a day at the office or the dregs and beggars of Lowtowne.

This stranger was looked upon by no one, minding himself as he went to sit at a stool at the counter. He pushed his hat back off his head, the string held it to his neck and down his back.

Ol' Mitt walked up to the stranger, genuinely surprised at how young the man appeared to be. Though that shouldn't have as anyone who had any sense to be had would do any line of work to eat. As for Mitt as long as there was silver to be had he would serve a starving babe. "Hello there stranger, what can I get you?"

Yet what Mitt hadn't expected was for the stranger to put a large fire arm on his counter. A triple barreled pistol that looked more like a shotgun in terms of size known as a pepperbox. Such a weapon wasn't used by just anyone save for hunters on the frontier.

The stranger calmly leaned on the counter, dirt came off his arms and onto the counter. "Wouldn't mind a liter of water."

A liter of water? That was a good deal of water from the well and he was almost out. Still, money was money. "I'll give you what I got, if you have the coin that is."

The young man set a neat stack of silver coins on the counter and pushed it towards the beaming bar owner. "Add a cigar to that please."

Mitt handed the man a brand new cigar from his cabinet next to the register. "I'll get you the water right now-hey Wendi! Darlin' get your ass over here and get this man some water!"

"Yes sir!"

The girl, already running behind with orders was running as fast as she could to keep up with her boss' demands. She was sweating like crazy and her hair stuck to her bare shoulders. She got behind the counter and began getting the water as requested.

Mitt paid her no mind as she gathered the pitcher and started to pour the water from the metal container into the glass one. "So, stranger, what do you go by?"

"Name's Wynter," said the man as he lit his cigar.

"No last name? Well, none of my business so pay it no mind," said Mitt before he turned to see Wendi finish pouring what was left of his water supply for Wynter. A noticeable amount was at the base of the glass container, meaning she had poured wrong. Mitt wasn't happy about that as he viciously grabbed the young woman by the arm. She winced in pain and dropped the metal pitcher. It bounced off the wooden floor loudly. "How many damn times do I have to tell you to not spill any?! Damn girl, I swear to the lord above you're useless."

"S-Sorry sir!"

"Watch yerself from now on today, darlin', otherwise it's ten licks of the cat for you."

The 'cat' as Mitt put it was a triple tail whip usually served for carriage riders to use on horses. It was also a whipping tool used to put people in line should they misbehave. Wendi had been lucky to not suffer that fate, but right now she was dangerously close to crossing that line.

"I'm going to go get the water, since you can't do anything right. I'll be back."

The big man let go of her arm and went into the back, where a simple well for water was. He'd be gone for a few long minutes.

Wendi, on the verge of tears from the physical pain, rubbed her arm to try and lessen the pain. That wouldn't hide the bruises to her skin that were left behind.

She saw Wynter looking at her, his dark green eyes seeming to stare into her soul. He blew out a cloud of smoke from his cigar, but consciously blew away from Wendi, showing respect for her.

"Must be tough, dealin' with him."

With shaking hands Wendi up righted the metal pitcher on the counter. She was used to talking with customers, though rarely was it ever civil or went into anything less than trying to get under her skirt. "If you only knew..."

"Oh I do."

"Your first time here?"

The hunter shook his head.

A long look at the man's face and Wendi thought something was familiar. "Wait, haven't you been here before?"

Wynter kept his expression the same and took another smoke from his cigar.

That's when she remembered. "You...you usually sit in the corner over there!"

"Least you remember," Wynter said as he blew smoke out of his nostrils. The fact that he had bene coming in and out of the Diamond for the last two weeks and the boss of the place didn't remember was a bit of a puzzle to him. Yet it was his only bar girl that remembered the faces rather than the coin.

Wendi did pay more attention to the patrons than Mitt did, since she had spoken to almost every man and woman that stepped foot in the saloon. She wasn't always good with names but she remembered Wynter very well. He'd always come in, ask for water and then take a nap in the farthest corner of the room for at least an hour. all while Mitt was oblivious the entire time.

"So Mr. Wynter, is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No, and please just call me Wynter."

"Very well, Wynter." Wendi took a handkerchief out of her work apron and wiped the sweat from her face.

Wynter was genuinely impressed, all the while a tinge of sympathy oozed from his cool exterior. Wendi had been paying attention to him whenever he was in the saloon, but that door swung both ways. Mitt wasn't easy on her from all he had seen. He treated her no better than dirt, passing her off to customers for a moment or two or even offering her for the night should they desire. Then if that wasn't as bad enough for the poor girl she was verbally as well as physically abused from time to time. Small wonder she was the only one still working under him,; despite her delicate exterior she was tougher than she let on.

That was because she didn't have a choice in the matter. She needed a job and a roof over her head to survive as well as food. Sometimes, it was better to work in a dump with a terror for a boss than to live on the street with nothing to live for.

Such was life in Lowtowne.

Taking a clean towel out from under the counter Wendi began to wipe the excess water off the wood. "This is how it is here. Spilt water and another threat of the cat."

"Has he ever used it on you?"

"Take a look," she turned around and held up her hair, and evidence of the abuse was all over her back. Scars, most of them over a week old, covered her upper back and were covered only by her hair on a daily basis. There were also wounds on her backside from the strap Mitt used from time to time whenever she was a 'bad girl'. "Twice I've been whipped. Twice I've been given the strap and been unable to sit for hours. Twice he's threatened to toss me out, and only by the grace of the lord above I am still here."

Though his name and demeanor gave him an aura of coolness, inside Wynter was boiling. Anger was welling up in his chest and yet he hid it just below the surface. He took one last smoke of his cigar. "Why haven't you left?"

"The same reason anyone else wouldn't: house and food. If I can stay off the streets and the whore houses all the better."

"Can't blame you for that," said Wynter before he put the end of his fully used cigar into a glass ashtray next to him.

Mitt returned with a full metal canister of water. The whole thing had to weigh about fifty pounds and yet the man had to huff and puff to put it in place under the counter. When he was finished Wynter noticed sweat beading down his temple.

"There, now we should be able to give you the rest of that water. Wendi do it." He ordered while trying to catch his breath.

"Yes sir," she said in a low voice before complying. She had to bend over to properly get the water out and from his point of view he saw why Mitt made her do it. As she bent over the opening of her dress exposed the valley between her breasts and they hung from her body swaying with each movement in an enticing matter. The men who sat at the counter had a clear view and enjoyed every second of it.

Wendi wasn't a fool. She knew Mitt made her do it to keep the bar packed, and thus sacrificing a chunk of her dignity was the price to pay for keeping business going.

As soon as she finished filling the pitcher Wendi sealed the metal container shut. "There you go, fresh well water sir."

Wynter nodded in thanks then paid for another cigar. "I'm gonna smoke here before I leave."

"Enjoy yourself then, and if you need anything ask Wendi here," said Mitt before he grabbed his apron and towel and headed out into the growing crowd to serve them.

Wendi's expression turned sullen, clearly she was near the end of her rope. Wynter didn't intend to make it harder for her so he kept to himself while he enjoyed his cigar.

"Hey sugar! Mind if I have another drink?"

The loud voice came from a feet stools down from where Wynter sat and it was from a terribly drunk miner who was barely able to sit up straight let alone stay on his seat.

"Coming sir," said Wendi as she made her way down to him. She filled his glass to near over flowing but the guy grabbed the glass before she was finished and downed it without hesitation. He was beyond wasted.

"Fill'er up..." he belched while moving to lean on one elbow before switching to another.

Wendi however was already busy trying to get the mess she had made cleaned up before Mitt saw it. She had been threatened for spilling water, there was no telling how he'd react if he saw that she had spilled whiskey. Thus she didn't hear the man's demand for more drink.

"You hear me?"

Raising her head the girl finally seemed to acknowledge his request. Yet she was struggling to move fast enough. "I'll be right with you-"

The man reached over and grabbed her forearm and yanked her forward. Her pelvis went into the edge of the counter forcibly and her upper body was over the counter itself.

"That's no way to treat service, darlin' lest you want me to leave without paying you."

His logic was as bad as his level of drunkenness, but the fact that Wendi was held in a vice grip and couldn't get free was more of the immediate problem.

"Sir, please let me go," she grabbed his hand and tried, in vain, to make him free her but it was no use.

"Not until I have my booze," said the drunk before his free hand reached for Wendi. It went under the fabric of her dress and roughly grabbed one of her breasts. No doubt he had seen her stunt earlier and had been dying to touch them. Wendi gasped and brought her own hand back to try and force him out, but he had a handful of her and he wasn't going to let go. He twisted his wrist, feeling her up and admiring her breast with each second before he pulled her breast out of the dress. "Now I'd much rather prefer your milk, darlin'."

Wendi forced herself to look away, unable to defend herself.

Click.

The drunk had heard the sound but what really got his attention was the force of Wynter's triple barrel pistol pushing right into his right temple. The clicking had been the turning off of the safety, and now it was ready to explode.

Wendi hadn't even noticed the hunter move from his spot down the counter but she was glad to see him nonetheless.

"Mind unhanding the lady?" said the hunter calmly.

"And if I don't?" asked the drunk still with his hand on Wendi's chest.

"This pepperbox will give you a closed casket funeral if you go down that road, boy." He emphasized the threat by pushing it against the drunk's temple.

Not needing any more convincing than that the drunk let Wendi go. She pulled back from the counter, her left hand rubbing her wrist while her right massaged her chest.

Wynter didn't lower his gun. "Guess you're more sober than you're letting on." Then he lowered his weapon. Not for long as the drunk stumbled forward with an attempted punch. The alcohol in his body was too much to deliver a sure shot and with Wynter totally sober he simply moved out of the way. As the other man passed him he struck the back of his head with a knockout blow that sent him straight to the floor. He was out before he even hit the wood.

No one else in the building seemed to care about the situation and went about their business.

Except Mitt of course.

"The hell you doing!" He shouted as he came up to the counter to confront Wynter.

The hunter nodded to Wendi, "He was manhandling the woman, where's the wrong in knocking him down a peg?"

Mitt had his hand son his hips, and knew his own argument was over before he got a word in edgewise. People were starting to fill up the building and if a fight broke out now there would be untold amount of silver lost in the damages he'd have to pay. Yet, he kept his mouth shut about Wendi. He didn't care if the drunk had molested her if it meant he spent some more silver, but to defend that was a death sentence for his business.

Instead he made the only move he could. "Then I'll have to ask you to leave for the night, sir."

Wendi couldn't believe it. Wynter had defended her and he was the one being thrown out! "But sir!"

"Wendi, shut yer mouth or its the strap to your ass."

She shut up with that, but Wynter gave her a look that told it was alright.

"Sure. I'll just take my water and come back another day. Sorry for the disturbance sir," said the hunter as he put his gun back in its holster on his hip and his hat atop his head. Then he grabbed the pitcher of water for his steed.

Mitt huffed and went back out into the crowd to vent his steam.

Wendi sighed as she rubbed her sore wrist and chest. "So much for a good night."

Extending his closed fist to her, Wynter spoke as he finished his second cigar. "All we can do is keep going."

She took what he offered, and to the girl's surprise it was six or seven silver coins, bright and shiny like newly minted. "What's this?"

As far as she knew Wynter had already paid for the two cigars and the water, so what was this for?

"Don't tell your boss."

The amount of money he had given her was enough to feed and house herself for a month if not two. She didn't know how to respond but with a simple thanks though her enthusiasm betrayed how excited she was.

Wynter knew he had made her day as she lit up like the morning sun. He tipped the edge of his hat to her. "Good day, Miss Wendi."

She didn't have to ask if he'd be back, for she knew he would without question.


	8. 008: First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New York City, Earth-32. It took three days for the war to begin. Humanity was fighting a seemingly unstoppable enemy, a monstrosity from another world. Outnumbered and outgunned a Marine and his squad face certain death, and then the game changed completely when all hope seemed lost...

The first signs were noticed on July 15th, when unexplainable lightning storms ravaged areas of the earth. Storms over New York City, Washington D.C., London, Moscow, and Beijing were thought of as scientific anomalies and were debated as to what could have caused them. They all happened simultaneously and were unprecedented

July 16th, the storms subsided, and that is when the fighting began. No warning as unidentified flying objects flew in over the skies of major world cities and started destroying whatever they saw.

That same day, large ground forces invaded New York, and the American military responded. The first wave of Marines and the Army went in to fight an enemy they knew nothing about. An enemy not of this world.

Little did they know that this was just the beginning of a war of three worlds.

Full combat gear at the ready, the Marines had to fight for every step they took.

Bullets had been flying long before Marine Lt. Daniel 'Wally' Wallace and his squad set boots on the ground that morning, and ever since they had started they had been unable to get a quiet moment.

Wall Street in New York was a warzone. Cars were destroyed and had been thrown around like dominoes, a crashed news helicopter had gone into the front of the building and had been a pile of burning wreckage ever since. The amount of dust clouded vision and restricted it to a few hundred feet at best.

Firefights were all over New York, and the battle showed no sign of ending anytime soon.

The destruction didn't bother the Marine, as much as it disturbed him to see his own country a warzone. What got the Lt. were the bodies. Civilians that had been caught unaware of the enemy were slaughtered in their cars or when they tried to flee. There were also police officers and soldiers mixed in of the National Guard. They had been devastated by the enemy and had to retreat, leaving their dead and wounded behind. Such a thing was unfathomable to any soldier, but they had no choice in the matter. Being a Marine for the eight years since he had graduated from high school back in Nevada he had grown to see all sorts of terrible things, but bodies of civilians always got to him.

Then there were the bodies of the defeated aliens. Humanoid but at least eight feet tall and built like body builders but covered from head to toe in crude blue and black armor, the most disturbing part of them was their faces. They all wore something that looked like a respirator and goggles that gave off an evil blue color for the eyes. Their weapons looked like assault rifles but from what Wally saw they fired not bullets but some sort of green energy that could blow holes through steel and also ricochet off angles like nothing.

As for the enemy, they were throwing themselves at them with reckless abandon. No matter how many the Marines killed, two more popped up in their place. Ammunition wasn't a problem as the aliens (they no doubt came in from those saucers now hovering over New York) bodies were just as frail of that of a human. Upper torso shots outright killed or disabled them and his squad was good at targeting vital spots.

Escorting the newest group of civilians to the evacuation point had been more difficult than the last.

'Whatever the hell those things are they seem to be smart enough to know our patterns...' thought the Lt. as he personally led the convoy through the street. He and those who remained of his thirteen man squad ran double time but no less carefully through the rubble, escorting four men and two children to the rendezvous point for extraction. Fire Team Alpha was in front of him as the vanguard and had been taking down the enemy nonstop.

"Lt.! We got hostiles on the front of the Stock Exchange!"

The words of Sgt. Coon of Alpha got the squad leader's attention and his mind snapped into Marine mode. Protocols and tactics ran through his mind and he made the right orders at the precise moment he needed them to be done.

"Take cover! Bravo Team provide suppressive cover fire for Alpha! Charlie Team light up the front of the Exchange!"

Charlie Team, led by young Sgt. Chase had the squad's remaining Javelin missile launcher and within moments of the order his team launched a wave of grenades and explosives at the front of the building before the Javelin was fired and put a stop to the hostiles there in a series of explosions that also leveled the front of the building, its massive support pillars didn't stand a chance against the amount of ordinance used. The Javelin was supposed to be used as an anti-tank weapon, but when it came down to it the weapon could be used to destroy fortifications.

But that didn't end the battle. Sporadic fire from down the street by another enemy force began coming down on the Marines.

Now Alpha had to stop moving so they could meet the enemy. Bravo moved in on their right flank; the left was blacked by debris from the destroyed Stock Exchange.

The enemy was much closer to the front line than the Lt. had thought, and soon combat came at point blank range in some cases. His thirteen man squad was taking hits left and right but managed to hold the line.

"Sgt. Chase take care of the civilians! Make it to the rendezvous point!"

Wally didn't hear anything his subordinate said or if he had responded at all. His eyes were forward, his mind of his fellow brother Marines.

The Lt. ran forward, raised his M27 IAR to aim down the ACOG sight, and started firing at any of the many targets that present themselves to him.

He took down ten before reaching his men, and by the time he got to them he had seen three of them down, never to get up again. Yet the bullets kept firing, as well as that of the enemy. Their bodies were everywhere, careless of their own casualties they tried to be like a tidal wave to wash over the Marines.

Wally knew he and his six remaining Marines were vastly outnumbered and reinforcements were not an option.

Neither was retreating. Marines never retreated.

Thus, fighting to the death was sounding like a viable ending for the situation as more enemies came at them.

And Wally was ready for it. "Oorah, motherfuckers."

But before the enemy horde could overrun them a series of collective loud pops were heard emanating from the sky above them. The sound barrier had been broken in rapid succession before what appeared to be tear shaped blue pods crashed into the street in front of the Marines, missing them entirely and crushing or incapacitating countless of the enemy.

For the first time that day the field fell silent. The Marines remained vigilant, not lowering their guard even after seeing at least six pods land in the field of fire.

Even the enemy seemed to take notice and backed off momentarily.

That was when the doors to the pods burst open and a barrage of electric blue energy started firing-

-in the opposite direction, away from the Marines, and towards their enemies.

Out of the pods came what Wally assumed had fired those blasts. Two dozen humanoid creatures in hot pink and sky blue armor carrying plasma rifles. Moving like a military unit they swept forward, taking cover behind debris as well as quick firing on the other species with precision and murderous intent. They were taking the fight to them, not paying attention to the exhausted Marine unit.

"Fall back!"

That called was made by Wally after his initial shock. Two of his men were wounded and he needed to get them, as well as those of his dead Marines, to the extraction point.

"The hell is going on LT?!"

Wally didn't know who asked but he didn't answer. He couldn't, since he didn't have a clue as to what the hell was going on.

Gathering themselves up, Wally put thoughts of what was going on in the back of his mind and pulled his unit back through the rubble. He provided cover while the others helped each other to move as fast as they could. Fighting raged down the street behind them like a distant world.

One of the men shouted out. "Hostiles on our six!"

Wally turned and saw three hulking enemies, having weaved through the fight back at the Exchange to run after the retreating Marines, running after the unit.

He knew what he had to do. "Ramirez, escort the wounded, I'll provide cover!"

The men kept running as well as the walking wounded, leaving the lone officer to protect his men. Taking cover behind a burning taxi Wally took out one enemy before the other two knew what was going down. The other two went in opposite directions in a wide curve, and Wally forced himself to move back, taking aim at one and firing before switching to the other in an attempt to keep them back.

Still the enemy moved too fast and he was soon met face to face with the two enemies. One tried to tackle him from the right but he avoided it, but couldn't avoid the other as he knocked the rifle from his tight grip and pushed him to the ground, and was prepared to plunge the two foot long wrist blade on its right arm into his chest when a few small blasts from a firearm got it right in the temple. The enemy was dead before he hit the ground, as evidenced by the baseball sized holes in his head.

The remaining enemy turned in time to see one of the pink armored soldiers drive both feet into its chest and knocked it down. Whatever the new being was it didn't give the enemy soldier a chance to retaliate, as it knocked both its arms away and stomped down on its head with a steel tipped high heel boot like an ant. Death was instant.

Down on a knee before his supposed savior, Wally remained unarmed save for the pistol on his hip, but would he pull it out in time to defend himself? He didn't know, but what he did know was he was at this soldier's mercy.

It came and stood in front of him and the Marine got a better look at it. The figure appeared to be humanoid but sleek and slender. The armor was form fitting and he was surprised to notice how much like a female human the alien was. Wide hips and a pair of ample breasts given form under the armor. The alien's head was encased in a helmet that had a full faced blue visor that was shining like a light, with a pair of white horns sticking up from the sides.

Raising its left hand, the other held its weapon, the being flipped a switch and the visor disappeared-

And revealed a very feminine human looking face looking down at the Marine. The skin was hot pink with full pastel pink lips, while her eyes were fully baby blue. No irises or pupils. She even had hair, which reached the base of her neck with two long strands that framed her slender face was the same color as her lips. If had been human she wouldn't have looked any older than twenty.

Not sure what to make of this Wally remained silent.

The 'woman' extended her hand to him, offering to help him to his feet.

"I'm Yelila. Get up soldier, this fight isn't over yet."

The fact that she had spoken clearly in English shocked him more than anything, but that didn't register to Wally as he took her hand.


	9. 009: Savior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaul, Earth-03. A village under siege from the plague and hope is scarce. Terror of death, both of the pestilence and of the followers of the church, is rampant. For one soul, hope and the will to live are all but lost. Until a mysterious rider enters town and passes judgement...

In the small town of Lapia on the shores of the South Sea in the kingdom of Gaul, the town was going through one of the worst disasters of this Dark Age.

The town was covered in an eerie fog and the bells of the three churches were ringing slowly. A death dirge. More than one funeral was in procession at this time. This was not the end result of an accident or an act of murder. It was much worse than that.

In the many surrounding villages around the port town, rumors were spreading of a disease, one that was cutting down as many as ten people a day at its least and three dozen a day at its worst. No warning was given for this sickness; in fact those who would later be afflicted would be confused with a common cold until much later. A cold sweat followed by chills, then a coughing fit, and finally the most disturbing part of this disease becomes known within a few days of being infected: coughing up blood.

The Christian Church had already passed judgement on the town, and had sent its representatives to deal with it.

A man was walking alone with a cane in his gloved hand, and wearing a terrifying bird mask on his face under a wide brimmed hat. You couldn’t see an inch of skin under the heavy overcoat he wore, and his appearance bought wonder to those who did not know what this man symbolized.

In most of the bigger villages there was a medicine man who would deal with diseases, and most of the time this same man was a hireling of the mayor or an assistant of the local doctor. In times of plague this man would help those in need and he was praised even if he fails to save a soul.

In Lapia, however, this man was not someone to respect but someone to fear. The mask was the sign of death, for he came not to save but to condemn. Then there was the fact that in certain towns, the man would be less than ideal in dealing with his job, and instead would take advantage of it to do things he would never get away with under normal circumstances.

Walking down the street flanked by three other men who one would deem his assistants, blanketed by the fog like a shroud of death, the Doctor opened the door to the first house. On the door was a large red X, a sign that the home was abandoned.

The Doctor pushed the door open with his cane, not wanting to touch the door for fear of infection, and stepped in. The home was dark and without light, and in the three rooms there was evidence of recent activity. Possibly the family that lived here had died recently, or had left the house in order to try and flee the disease. There was a table with a full set of chairs in the eating area, and a small sofa near the fireplace. There was a light layer of ash in the fireplace as well as on the step leading to it. The windows were covered with blinds letting very little light in, but the men could see well enough to find what they were looking for.

The doctor didn’t know nor did he care, and fanned out his arms, “Search the place. Leave no stone unturned, and take what you can.”

The four men went out and began to turn over furniture, searching cupboard, and even one looked under some loose floorboards.

Within the few minutes they took taking what food and valuables they could, the doctor was searching the rooms for any sign of activity. The first place he searched was the living room, and the fireplace.

Using his cane, the doctor reached up into the fireplace, and immediately hit something with the tip.

And a very audible yelp of pain was heard before someone came falling down, creating a small plume of ash as the figure tried to scurry away, but the doctor got over his initial surprise and grabbed at the person.

“You come here!” He grabbed the back of the person’s shirt collar, and he discovered that it was a small boy.

Face covered in soot from being in the chimney, clothes dirty beyond the scope of knowing what he wore, and appearing to be no more than six years old the boy tried to get away but was soon held by another man helping the doctor. “Let me go!”

The doctor motioned for the man to take the boy outside, and the other men had taken what they wanted they left as well before the man in the mask went outside.

The boy’s shouting and flailing got the attention of those walking through the streets, and they began to gather to see what was going on though most had an idea of what it was, and the faces of those who knew were sullen. 

The boy’s flailing required two men to hold him, and the doctor stood in front of him.

“What’s your name, boy?” His voice was slightly muffled against the mask, but he was loud enough to understand.

“Arthur, sir,” he said quickly, and rather sheepishly while keeping his head down and looking at the ground.

The crowd around was becoming larger, and to those who were just paying enough attention they would notice that the whole world had gotten quiet.

“And where is your family?”

Arthur didn’t answer, he kept his lips together and eyes closed while he began to tremble. He was beginning to show signs of fear. Such a sight would bring anyone to interject on the child’s behalf, but one could only go so far when the boy was suspected of infection.

And that prospect was not in his favor. Should the doctor find him to be infected, the boy could see death by fire.

“Answer,” he growled.

Arthur immediately answered, “Dead sir. The plague got to them…Momma, and Papa, and my little brother as well!”

He now started to cry, and he eventually broke down as the memories of seeing his family die over the course of a week made Arthur sink further into despair. His father had gotten sick first, and when he died his little brother went next. He had been barely two years old when he died. When his mother died, Arthur had lost all hope but fearing death he hid in the house where his mother had died just a couple days before. He had resigned himself to wait for the sickness to get him next.

And now he was the ‘mercy’ of this Doctor.

“You know that you are at high risk of being with the plague? Do you know what happens with those who are sick?”

Arthur didn’t have to answer. He knew very well what awaited him.

The third man standing near the doctor went ahead and checked the boy for signs of the plague. This disease gave an obvious sign of infection, which was the small black spots on the upper most layer of skin, giving a sign of dead or decaying skin over the heart, neck, or face. 

Arthur didn’t move as he was searched, and one of the men poured a bucket of water on him to wash the soot away from his skin. They searched him thoroughly, and it was after a couple minutes that they made a startling discovery.

The boy was clean, his skin was pale from lack of food and bath, but he was to the naked eye not infected.

Soaking wet and feeling worse by the moment as all eyes were on him now; Arthur looked to the doctor, and was waiting for his fate to be decided.

The doctor held his cane up, “You will be led to the graveyard and burned.”

The crowd started to argue at this revelation.

One man shouted, “But he is not sick! Your men checked him!”

Yet another made the opposite claim, “He could still carry the sickness! Burn him!”

A woman, feeling sorry for Arthur, “But he is a child!”

The crowd broke into a fervor and some believed that violence would go over them, but the doctor shouted, “He will burn! To protect the town, all those infected or thought to be infected are to perish!”

Tears started to pour from Arthur’s eyes and down his reddened cheeks, and thoughts of his dead family entered his mind. Maybe it was better this way, as he was about to be reunited with them. He resigned himself to his fate.

The crowd got louder, some in protest and some in favor of the death to come.

The doctor’s arm was raised, cane in hand up high over his head, like he was going to strike the boy down with it.

But before he could bring it down on Arthur, the loud neighing of a horse was heard from the edge of the crowd, and everyone stopped to see who was coming through. Even the doctor peered in the direction, wishing to see who would dare come through the road.

From out of the fog came a large black steed slowly walking down the cobblestone road carrying a lone rider. The crowd, before roused to near violence, parted in silence for the rider as he passed them but stopping where the doctor stood.

“You better have a good explanation for this sir,” said the doctor peering up at the rider through the eye slits of the mask he wore. He had to correct himself after seeing the rider’s face however.

It wasn’t a man but a woman who was on the horse, peering down at him with her eyes hidden in the hood of a white cloak. There were long tresses of platinum blonde hair coming from the hood and going down her chest which was covered in shiny metal armor. The hilt of what could have been a sword was seen on her back while the cloak draped her shoulders and her arms.

Even in the shadow of her hood, the doctor could make out a pair of bright green eyes looking down at him and he felt lucky wearing the mask as it hid his nervousness. What was it about this woman that had him, as well as the whole crowd, completely on edge?

“I wish to pass through.”

The doctor took note of the woman’s voice, she sounded like she was a teenager, but surely that was not the case he thought. “Could you not see the road is blocked dear girl? There is plague in this town, and unless you want to contract the disease yourself you will be on your way so we can extinguish those who keep it among us.”

Getting down from her steed, metal greaves touching the cobblestone road, and caressing the neck of her horse to sooth him, she turned to the doctor. “You think this boy alone has the pestilence?”

“We have snuffed out the rest of the disease, doing what we can to protect the population, and he is of the last house known to have it. When he dies, the people can rest easy when they sleep at night.”

The crowd was split down the middle, but all kept silent as the two exchanged looks.

The woman turned her head to look at the crowd that had surrounded her, waiting for how she was going to respond. 

“Is that so?”

Arthur, still deep in despair, felt like something was going to happen. Whether it was good or bad, he didn’t know.

The doctor stepped between the boy and the woman, “For the sake of the village, he will die. And you will not interfere!”

“Your words, like your reasoning, are sickening.” Raising her arms which were covered with elbow length white gloves with small plates of armor on the upside of her arms, her slender arms reached for the hood and pulled it back, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful face. “You have no power over me.”

A woman in the crowd gasped, and the doctor himself took half a step back.

The woman’s face, her green eyes shining even when the sun was blocked by the gray sky as well as framed by the sunlight blonde hair that went down her body, made all those around her stare for some short moments. Some men and even women blushed as they were caught off guard by her beauty.

Somehow finding the courage in his being, the doctor replied, “I do not know who you are, but in case you do not know but I am the authority here, and if you do not follow what I say, then you can share the fate of this one!” He raised his cane up once again above his head and brought it down on the woman.

The sound of metal on metal was heard, and the man’s cane was sent flying behind him, and to the surprise of everyone watching, the sword the woman had in her scabbard now had its sharp tip was resting at the base of his neck. The woman held her sword with one hand and her arm was steady which should have been impossible as the sword she was wielding was as long as a broadsword but the blade was thin and didn’t seem to have been used in a long while. With lightning speed, she had drawn the sword and disarmed the man before holding the blade to his neck.

The sudden action seemed to go through the area, and Arthur felt the grip on his arms loosened and he got free. He searched around for the nearest escape route, ready to make his way through the crowd.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Come to me.”

It took Arthur a few seconds to realize the words were meant for him, and that it was the woman who had spoken to him. He ran to her left side, hiding under her cloak and wrapped his arms around her legs which on the left side was covered by a skirt with big white bird feathers that was soft to his cheek.

Now knowing the boy was safe, the woman turned her attention to the doctor who had about killed him, “I will take him.” She pressed the tip of her sword further against his neck. Not enough to break skin, but to make a point she wanted to give. 

Hands at his sides, wary of the fact that a sword was against his neck, “Then you will die by the disease he carries…and you will have only yourself to blame should you get sick.”

The woman gave a glare and pressed the sword slightly more against him, but didn’t say a word. She pulled her sword back and placed it in the sheath on her back. Her left hand was resting on the boy’s head as she turned back to her horse, leading the grateful Arthur to it before helping him up into the saddle with ease.

A man from the crowd cautiously offered to help the woman up, but she gave a small smile and climbed up herself. That smile was gone after she grabbed the reins and glared at the doctor. “Then that is my fate.”

Without another word the mysterious rider pulled the horse by the reins and made her way through the crowd, leaving the doctor dumbfounded and silently beside himself with a rage even God himself would find exceptional.

Once past the town heading north, Arthur finally felt his enthusiasm return, his mind and body felt invigorated. His glee with his unexpected savior was unmeasurable. Were it not for this warrior he would have been killed by that doctor. “Thank you for all you have done for me, miss!”

The woman turned to look back over her shoulder, offering the boy a small polite smile. Yet she had to let him know. “I saved you, but for you to accompany me would be even more dangerous. Is there not a place you may go beside the village?”

The woman had saved him from certain death out of her own choosing but now that he was free Arthur had to fend for himself. As sad as he was that she wouldn’t be able to let him stay, Arthur didn’t have to ask why. She was a traveler, and that meant any unnecessary baggage would be a hindrance. 

The boy replied, “Well, I have an uncle in the next town, he had been unable to find me before the church locked down the village. You can leave me there.”

“Very well,” was her reply.

“By the way, miss? What is your name?”

The woman stopped walking and turned to the boy. “I am Aurora Ravensbourne, a hunter.” 

A breeze came through and gently swayed her blonde locks and even the rays of the sun shined through the clouds overhead. Her expression softened for the boy. It was the prettiest sight he had ever seen in his young life.


	10. 010: The Captain & his Mermaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amora Island, Earth-18. Taking a break from the fun he experiences as a pirate captain, Louis DeChant has some private time to use with his secret lover Aera, and they must take what time they have to share for it never lasts long.

Even at the night upon the water the Caribbean was warm during the summer time.

All ships were anchored on the island of Amora, a small piece of land most wouldn't consider anything important about it. There were two towns on the island and with a population of less than one thousand live there.

However, the island with a lovely name harbors a dangerous secret. It was home to brigands, their families, as well as criminals, including the most dangerous of all: pirates.

Amora was one of the most secret locations in the island chain, and only a few captains outside of pirates know of its location, which is a closely guarded secret that only a few outsiders knew about.

One such ship was called the Willow. A frigate of Spanish creation, it was a forty cannon ship that was manned by a very experienced crew of riffraff.

Those riffraff were currently in full celebration mode, having done what they did best in the last two weeks: capturing ships and loot. That loot had been used to buy rum and food as well as shot and cannon ammunition. The amount of rum bought somehow outnumbered the amount of food and weapons needed to keep the Willow safe and nourished.

But that was to be expected, thought a young man who sat on the main deck of the Willow near the helm. 'The men have risked their lives for that loot, might as well let them go all out. Just for one night, that is.' He had a single candle to illuminate his surroundings, which other than the moon was his only source of light. The light shined off his youthful face, showing a man who was only in his mid-twenties with a dark thin haired moustache on his upper lip. His hair was dark and short, and though he was dressed like he was going to a gala, the gentleman known as Lois DeChant was as properly dressed as a pirate captain would be. Dressed in a grand dark blue coat, his favorite color, tailored as best he could by the lowly women of Amora town itself Louis seemed to be dressed for a party but his ship was anchored at dock and the sails were up. It wasn't going anywhere.

So what did he have in mind?

He walked to the port side of his ship, facing the open ocean, and peered over the side to see a small row boat sitting on the water below. Making sure he was set in terms of dress the man grabbed onto the rope and began to descend to the boat. Well, after making one last look around to make sure no one saw him that is.

Once he was convinced that no one was around he went down the rope and made it to the boat. I rocked gently under the weight of his body but it went and sat down at one end and placed his large captain's hat upon his head.

That is when he lit the lamp next to him and set it on the other end. The air was humid, there was a light veil of fog which prevented him from being seen from the beach in the distance. Then the captain sat down and waited.

For a long while he waited, with only the creaking of his ship making a sound.

Yet the smile on his face didn't go away.

Then the sound of a small splash in the distance forced Louis to look away. He saw nothing and yet kept his guard up. What he was doing was considered dangerous if not suicidal yet the young man didn't care.

He sighed lightly, "Maybe tonight wasn't the best choice-"

He then saw something that made his heart skip a beat. A woman was on the side of the boat holding onto its edge with slimy wet hands with longer fingernails than what would be expected of a woman. She was beautiful, long flowing blonde hair that was slick and wet, combed back and her emerald green eyes seemed to be piercing through the captain. Her youthful expression and features betrayed her true nature.

"Ah, I was wondering if she stood me up this night," said the captain rather casually.

The woman, whose nature as a mermaid was deceiving to anyone that would lay eyes on her but not Louis reacted accordingly. "Are you Louis DeChant? Captain of this vessel known as the Willow?" He nodded once, taking his hat off, "Louis DeChant, Captain of the Willow, and I am seeking an audience with Aera."

The mermaid narrowed her eyes at the captain. No doubt she could smell the alcohol on his breath. One of the few things mermaids hated was the putrid stench of rum. It ruined their sense of appetite, which was all well for the captain who was helpless as it was without a weapon nearby.

"I am her messenger, I shall inform her of your request."

She dove under the water, the splash flew high enough to get the toes of Louis' boots.

"Hm, was it something I did?" asked the Captain before shrugging it off.

Moments after the blonde mermaid left the captain felt a chill in the air. It was unusual but no less chilling. Still he kept himself calm. Mermaids were animals to a degree and fear was something they thrived on when attacking potential prey.

But Louis had solace in a fact that made him immune to such a tactic. "Aera likes me, so I shouldn't worry."

The key word was shouldn't, yet he felt uneasy.

Any second he half expected a pod of fish women to drag his sorry carcass under the water's surface and devour him. Such would be fitting for a pirate to die on the sea and by women no doubt, even if they were devil fish.

He blinked and looked around and after hearing the telltale splash of a coming fish. Louis didn't know what it was that made him do it, but when he looked over the side of the row boat he saw another mermaid looking up at him with pearl white eyes and dark auburn hair slowly emerged from the water and as he was close enough she raised her hands and grabbed the collar of his coat and ended up pulling the surprised captain towards her and planted a loving kiss on his lips.

Taken by surprise Louis didn't struggle. Instead he kissed the mermaid with passion.

Only when the pirate needed to breathe did the mermaid lower herself back to the water, the waterline was below her chest and she hung onto the side of Louis' rowboat. He knew that her lower half was made of a fish like tail with pink and green scales like those of any aquatic fish. She had enjoyed her way of salutation towards the captain and the taste upon her lips was sweeter than anything in the seven seas. "Hola, Louis."

Louis sat back in his seat, recovering from the greatest greeting he had experienced in a very long time. "Hola Aera, I see you're lively as ever."

"Yo have to when the diet is restricted to the schools off the coast of this island," said the mermaid as she rested her chin on the wood. "My pod is restless, and would be uncontrollable were it not for your continuous raiding ventures on merchant and pirate ships."

"Just tell your girlfriends that dead meat is just as good as warm meat when it comes on a regular basis," answered the captain. He knew that Aera's pod, which consisted of at least two dozen mermaids who followed her out of loyalty, would do anything she asked of them long as they were fed. Mermaids were like a pack of wolves in the water, and like any carnivore species they preferred meat. Yet due to his personal morals Louis never fed them live men; not out of the kindness of his heart would be ever send a man to be fed to the merfolk. Instead, those who were killed in the fighting were sent to the watery grave, and to the mermaid's bellies as a result. That included any and all of Louis' own men.

He had sent five of them to the water when they had died in the fighting in the last week.

Now he had to make sure Aera was doing fine with this arrangement. But while he was so into this mermaid he had to take serious caution. "Anyway, as much as I would love to talk for hours into the night, I have to make this brief. The men are drunk from rum and thus they don't tend to think straight. Were they to spot me with you...their trust in me would be in serious peril."

"Such as it has bene since we were children," said the mermaid, her thoughts thinking back to when she was but a young minnow attached to her mother's side. Saving Louis after he had nearly drowned during a storm, their two lives had forever entwined ever since. Falling in love was almost inevitable, but both welcomed it despite their differences.

Mermaids were considered a terrible omen, and were more often than not killed on sight. Not an easy feat to accomplish but it wasn't impossible. The last thing Louis wanted to do was endanger Aera unnecessarily. She was already taking a huge risk meeting with him like this.

Sadly, as much as she wanted him to stay, she knew their arrangement had to remain secret.

"I understand Louis, but if I may ask what do you plan to do next?"

"I have matters in Amora to attend to, before I go out and seek adventure once more."

She smiled, knowing what he meant to do was nothing short of Louis being himself. "Then I bid you good night, and until next time, mi amor."

This time it was Louis who leaned in to kiss Aera. His was twice as long as hers had been, but no less sweet, before he forced himself to let her go.

She pushed herself off the boat and after giving him one last tender glance she dove under the water and out of sight.

Sighing at the best part of his life going away, Louis eagerly grabbed at the rope and began to climb back aboard the Willow. Adventure began in the morning, and he needed plenty of rest before the dawn.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chicago, Earth-33. "1932, at the Shinning Star night club. The place was terribly lit. The smell of cheap of cigars and even cheaper booze filled the air. All eyes were on that stage, and on her. Yet I knew she had only eyes for me, as I did for her. Too bad life played us a harsh game, and as pawns we had little choice but to play along."

It was lightly snowing in Chicago tonight, and for once Lunaire was glad it was cold. His house had been too warm for his tastes and thus he had looked forward to leaving it for a few hours. His car was at just the right temperature and

Gunnar sat in the passenger seat while Astrid drove and Lunaire sat in the back seat.

Downtown Chicago was a ghost town due to the curfew put in place. There were hardly any cars on the streets and whatever people were out walking were few and far between.

The radio was playing soft piano music requested by Lunaire himself, and the young boss sat in the back and was lost to the melody. Though Astrid still didn't know where they were going, Gunnar kept giving her directions on where to go and she kept her eyes on the road.

Eventually the car came to a stop in front of a high rise building called the Shining Star, and when she turned the engine off Astrid sat in place. Gunnar turned his head to look back at his boss, "Well, boss, we're here."

Lunaire sighed lightly before sitting up straight. "Alright then, listen up, rookie. You too Gunnar."

Astrid shook as he addressed her and turned to concentrate on him.

"We go inside you are not to address me by name or identify yourself with your real names. No one is to know we are here and as such if you tell anyone about tonight, there will be trouble for both of you. Are we clear?"

Astrid and Gunnar exchanged a look and nodded.

"Very well, let's go. It's almost time."

The two bodyguards got out of the car first and went to the passenger's side, but Gunnar stopped Astrid before she could make it around the front.

"What is it?"

Gunnar stood before her, "Where we are going you need to look less prim and more like a tough guy. Like this-"

He grabbed the front of her suit and unbuttoned it, much to Astrid's dismay, "Excuse me!" She smacked his hands away, which felt like hitting granite, feeling really awkward all of a sudden. "You could have just told me and I would have handled it myself, thank you."

"Whatever you say, rookie," said Gunnar before he went over to Lunaire's door.

Astrid took his advice and unbuttoned her undershirt a few buttons, revealing some skin as well as shook her hair to look less neat though she refused to mess it up completely. She had spent too much time that morning fixing it up just to mess it up for the purpose of going incognito for the sake of her boss. She got to Lunaire's door quickly and she heard Gunnar address her again.

"You're at his six, I'll be at his twelve, got it?"

"Huh?"

Her response made Gunnar shake his head and he opened the door. Lunaire stepped out and gave Gunnar a nod.

"Sorry about that, boss, had to give the rookie a slight makeover before we go in."

Lunaire turned to Astrid and nodded, "Passable"

Astrid lowered her head, slightly annoyed but kept her mouth shut.

"And Astrid, he meant you are to watch my back while he has the front."

Astrid felt the back of her neck heat up, feeling like an idiot for not understanding something that simple.

Lunaire closed his door and with Gunnar at the front he followed and Astrid was behind him.

Instead of going through the front door like one would think, the trio went around to the back of the building, traversing an alley that was damp and had only a single light to see anything. There was a door with a sign on it saying VIETATO OLTREPASSARE (translated as 'NO TRESSPASSING'). Lunaire kept his eyes on front as Gunnar banged on the door with a heavy fist.

For a few moments nothing happened, the only sound in the area being a cat fighting another down the alley, before a voice was heard from the other side of the door, "What's the pass code?"

Gunnar responded in Italian, "Ho visto una stella cadente (translated as 'I saw a shooting star')."

A moment later there was activity being heard from the other side before the door opened, and the trio went on through.

A big burly man greeted them on the other side of the door, his suit all messed up and he smelled of alcohol. Gunnar made a wise crack, "Nice monkey suit." The man merely grunted and cocked his head towards the hall. As laid out before Gunnar led the procession in front of Lunaire while Astrid took up the rear. Astrid covered her nose and mouth as she passed the doorkeeper.

A long hall lit only by small lamps until the end when a large theater was revealed. It had once been a theater for plays until the 1920s when the Fascists took over, then it became a base for underground resistance in Italy up until after the Great War. Then the mafia took control of it and turned it into one of their longest surviving clubs.

The theater was wide and heavily modified, with only the stage remaining from its glory days. Where the seats would have been were now circular tables filled with people playing cards, drinking expensive alcohol, or both while talking with associates. That or they were watching the spectacles performing on stage. Waiters walked around handing out drinks and food to patrons, both male and female, while many men stood at the bars off to the sides of the auditorium.

One waiter led the trio to a table near the front of the floor just short of the stage. Lunaire sat down in a chair. Astrid found another chair but before she could sit down Gunnar stopped her, "We aren't allowed to sit."

Astrid tilted her head to the side and looked at her boss, "Why not, sir?"

Lunaire's only reply was to look back at the bar on the far side of the room. The bodyguards were trying to be inconspicuous but from Lunaire's experience he knew why they were there. Weapons weren't typically allowed in the theater, and any show of force was looked down upon hence why the guards remained off the floor. "Call it tradition...or to prevent games of intimidation, rookie. Play along."

"We'll be at the bar, sir, you if you need us..." Gunnar said.

Lunaire replied with a nod as a waiter asked for his order. His guards left after his answer. "Aphrodite on the rocks, with ice."

The waiter nodded and took off.

Now that he was alone, Lunaire sighed and began to get comfortable, his eyes staring at the empty seat across from him.

By the time his drink arrived the lights began to dim and the miniature lamps on the tables lit up. All attention turned to the stage and the black grand piano in the center. A single spotlight began to shine brightly in the center as a voice came over the loudspeaker, "Ladies and gentlemen, performing her most popular performance the Shining Star gladly presents the Star of Chicago."

A loud round of applause came from everyone in the theater, even Lunaire though he clapped his hands softly compared to others. Also heard were loud whistles and some rather sexual comments towards the woman who had yet to appear.

Lunaire remained silent, waiting for the show to begin.

The entire theater eventually quieted down in time to hear the tapping of shoes on the hard wooden floor of the stage as well as the clicking of heels. Out walked a beautiful young woman with light auburn hair that was styled in side-swept bangs with a double braid going across her crown and the rest twisted and pinned up. In her hair was a pin made to symbolize the sun. She wore a cream white strapless cocktail dress that reached her ankles and what looked like six inch high heels made of glass. The sides of her dress had slits that went up past her hips, and it didn't have a back. A combination of pure beauty and irresistible allure, the woman turned to the crowd and bowed, as all performing artists do before they performed, before sitting down at the piano bench. Her delicate hands found their place on the keys, and without much of a warm up, she began to play.

The music that followed would not have been expected in the theater, the place made up of rowdy customers and had an air of danger to it, and the music she played was nothing short of serene. She kept the serenity of it all going at a pace that was calm and beautiful with intense concentration all the while never missing a key or stumbling over her fingers. She was indeed an expert of the keys.

Her performance lasted all of ten minutes. By the time she finished with a slow ending, the crowd was loudly applauding with double the enthusiasm they had at the beginning of her performance. She stood up and walked to the front of the stage and bowed once again.

Even with all the men standing and applauding her, all showing her support and hoping she would notice them the hazel eyes of the Star found Lunaire. He smiled, proud of her performance, which seemed to be for him and him alone. The star returned the smile with one of her own before walking off the stage.

And so the theater returned to its normal rowdiness and the smell of smoke and booze returned tenfold once the performance was over.

Halfway finished with his drink Lunaire was about to call over Gunnar when a waiter approached him.

"Excuse me sir, but I have a message from a lady."

While that could mean anything, to Lunaire he understood it perfectly. Her took the piece of paper and dropped a few large bills on the tray. "Grazie, and you saw nothing."

The waiter nodded, his services appreciated, and he would keep his mouth shut for fear of his life. Such was how things worked in the underground.

Lunaire opened the paper. Nothing was written on the inside but there was a small copper key with the number two etched into it. A message? More like an invitation.

Finishing his drink in one go and living a sizable tip before standing up. He shot a glance to Gunnar and Astrid at the bar, but only Gunnar knew what that look meant before he walked away from the table.

Astrid had started to move after her boss stood up but Gunnar had stopped her from leaving. "Aren't we supposed to go after him?"

"Not this time rookie, he's got this one."

Astrid sighed, "But what if something happens to him? We'll be royally screwed."

Gunnar wasn't worried. He had a feeling of what was going to happen next, and if that feeling proved true like it had in the past, then everything was going to be fine.

Fine for his boss, but maybe not for everyone else.

After showing his letter of invite to the backstage hands Lunaire was allowed behind the curtains.

"Start any trouble with the lady and we will throw your ass out faster than you can snap yer fingers, capiche?"

Lunaire didn't like the idea of being threatened, but considering this guy more than likely didn't know who he was-or what he was capable of-all he did was give a smirk and went on his way.

There was only one dressing room in the back, and the word 'star' was on the name plate.

Shaking his head he knocked on the door three times before letting himself in.

The dressing room appeared empty but with the radio playing soft jazz music and the lights were all on Lunaire knew better as he closed the door behind him. There was a white vanity with a large mirror at the far side of the room. make-up and other items he didn't know about littered the top of it. A single window facing the alley between the club and the business next door was the only other access point. Lunaire took note of it for possible use later.

"Welcome to my room, sir."

The distinct female voice was heard but where it came from Lunaire didn't know. His guard remained lowered, since he knew who it was he was talking to, he didn't need to have it up. "I received the invite, and here I am."

A couple footsteps later and she appeared, the Star herself, still in that dress that Lunaire loved. When she had been on that stage earlier she had appeared to be a stranger to him, but now he knew she was revealing her true self to him in private.

"Hello, Lunaire."

"Hello Solara."

Solara Bellini, only daughter of the Bellini crime family and rival to the Nottur family, but known more to the underlings of Chicago as the Star.

He was unarmed, and she had the drop on him. She could kill him easily, as Lunaire knew she had a small Derringer pistol on her at all times, hidden like an assassin would her tool of choice. Yet, she didn't so much as make a move to even grab her gun. Instead she stepped past Lunaire as she went to the door and locked it, as well as covered up every hole that could peer into the room. Privacy guaranteed she turned back to the crime prince who awaited her response.

It was a quick one as she ran into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and bringing her lips to his. A passion born of fire and an affection that was the ultimate taboo between them.

A Nottur and a Bellini were in love, a secret no one could know about and so far no one did.

Lunaire gave into Solara's embrace, and his affection for her was returned tenfold as he held her close by placing his hands on her lower back. She responded by bringing up her leg to hook around one of his, the dress she wore seemed to be made for such provocativeness.

Lost in each other for the longest time, Lunaire didn't want it to end. "You always take my breath away."

Both of them stared lovingly into each other's eyes as the music played a gentle tune. How fitting.

"I missed you," said Lunaire warmly. she had seen the warm side of him, and it was for her only.

Lowering her leg, not to mention to catch her breath, Solara placed her hands on his shoulders. "As have I."

He could easily tell as she needed to bring in the air into her lungs. She wasn't alone in that regard. Like a man who went too long without his drink Lunaire had suffered for her up until now. Were she bourbon he'd die of over intoxication, but what a way to go.

She pulled herself away and went around him, passion over for now. "Lunaire, I need to let you know some news."

Lunaire sighed lightly and watched as she crossed the room to the vanity. "Down to business now is it..." Just when it was getting good too, he thought with apparent disappointment.

She sympathized with him, but what she had on her mind was just as important, if not more so than their reunion. "As much as I wanted to see you, I had an alternative reason for inviting you back here." She grabbed a small folder of papers from her vanity and brought it over to him. "The families have a problem, and my father has shown me the extent of the damage should it not be addressed."

Her eloquent speaking was always a pleasure to Lunaire's ears but when she said she had a problem his attention snapped in place. "Problem? What kind?"

Solara gracefully walked over to the wardrobe near the vanity and searched through it. "My father said some upstart is trying to cause a ruckus in Chi-town, and the other two families have been bearing the brunt of it for some time." She picked out a simple white party dress with black stars on the skirt. Similar to the one she wore now, though not as elegant-nor expensive from what Lunaire noted.

"Those two families needed to be reminded of the pecking order in this town anyway." Yet even as he said that Lunaire couldn't help but worry. "If this ruckus as you call it keeps going, it will affect our families, wont it?"

Solara went behind the thin wall of her changing booth to change. From where Lunaire stood he could make out her slender silhouette through the material.

"Yes, and father is beside himself with how to handle it."

Opening the folder Lunaire saw a bunch of written letters mostly with minor details of family outings that the Bellini's tended to on a daily basis. Such information would be invaluable in a turf war or even to have on hand, but as this whole meeting between them was on trust between each other Lunaire could only hope to memorize what he needed to know before giving it back to her. Yet what caught his eye were 'espionage' and 'murder'.

"What has all gone down?"

Solara slowly changed into her other dress, taking her sweet time as if to tease the young man on the other side. "Businesses destroyed in 'unexplainable fires' and shop keepers murdered while taking out the trash. Not only that but they have been targeting the informants in the police force. I imagine the same thing has happened for your family as well?"

"In a way. We've been out of the spying business for the last few months. Dad's been easing up on it ever since those Gustav boys were nailed on Valentine's Day."

The Valentine's Day Massacre as the press called it was when a German conspirator known to frequent the Nottur family business was caught and six others were mown down with Thompson machine guns in the back alleys of one of the family business. Lunaire had been there to pick up the mess personally. Afterward he had been forced to hide per his father's orders, though he didn't agree with the strict rules applied in the matter.

Closing the folder Lunaire looked up and saw as Solara came from behind the curtain now dressed in her new gown. It was form fitting and showed off her luscious curves. The fact that it was strapless and seemed to push her chest up immediately brought the young man's eyes to it. Her hair remained the same.

Still, business was at hand.

"So, why are you letting me know this?"

Solara went and held onto his free hand. "Because I think he won't stop until he hits us all, and the damage could be terrible if we aren't prepared."

A warning of a coming storm.

Tossing the folder aside Lunaire ran a hand through his hair. "So you're giving me a heads up."

"The best I can do...since we have complications in our relationship."

"Secret relationship," said Lunaire under his breath. He didn't know if the goons outside were listening in but he didn't want to take the chance. "But I do appreciate the concern."

Solara smiled lightly.

A trio of knocks from the door grabbed their attention. A loud voice from the other side was heard next. "Miss Star? Your ride is outside."

The final nail in their evening had been driven in and now it was ending. Neither Solara nor Lunaire wanted it to but such was life in the mafia. Yet it wasn't the first time that the two lovers were forced to part prematurely. Nor would it be the last.

"I'll be right out," answered Solara, her voice going from sweet and loving to controlling in a fraction of a second. Such was befitting of a Bellini. She then turned to Lunaire. "I suppose this is farewell for now."

Lunaire grabbed onto her hand gently pulled her to him. Her chest pressed against him and he felt her heart beating heavily. It was similar to his own right at this moment. He kept her close, one hand going to her hair while the other was on her back. Not one for fancy words Lunaire instead made his action speak for him. His kiss to her was vigorous and the passion he was giving her was like he would die if he let her go.

Solara gave into the kiss, feeling his grip on her near inescapable, but not that she would have tried to resist. It would take a hundred men to pry her away from Lunaire.

It was only after another few knocks on the door did Lunaire let her go, albeit reluctantly.

Trying to catch his breath the young man kept himself close to her, whispering with affection in his voice. "I swear woman you'll be the death of me."

She smiled before kissing him again, "Would that displease you?"

"It's be a hell of a way to go, that's for damn sure..." he kissed her back, his hands grabbing her hips with want as much as his lips wanted hers. Not a lust but a desire threatening to escape his body.

Still, duty called, and Solara had to go. "Best be off before they bring down my door." She tilted her head to the window. "Might want to consider an alternate escape route, just in case."

Lunaire scoffed at the idea initially but he gave in. "Just let the others know I went out the back door."

"Will do," said the woman and, after one last kiss to her beloved's wanting lips, she parted from him and left.

Feeling empty Lunaire's mind went into the far corners of his thoughts before he left through the window.


	12. 012: The Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atros City, Earth-5. It's fight night in the arena bar known as The Pit, and four newcomers are making their debut in the fighting ring. How will they fare?

It was fight night every night at the Pit, an underground bar and fighting arena under the streets of the lawless city of Atros City. Deep under the streets in an abandoned part of an old subway system, the arena was the size of a high school gymnasium and each and every inch was covered in damage and bloodstains of previous fights fought inside it. Like its name implied the fighting area was surrounded by a higher area lined with chain link fencing where onlookers could watch with relative safety. From the safety of this level the people could watch through the fence or from the various large screen monitors placed throughout the bar. Tonight the place was full to capacity, which was good for business in a rough house such as this. Drinks were flowing, people were partying like there was no tomorrow, and the fights were a blast so far, and the night was far from over.

The latest intermission had just ended, and so the promoters announced over the loudspeakers from the safety of their booth in a concrete bunker. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Pit! Our next batch of fights for the night are about to begin! Hope you've been placing your bets because once it all starts that's all there is to have! Now, our next match is a team battle! For those who don't know here are the rules for a team: there are no rules! Anything goes until one team is beaten down and unable to continue! So folks, let me ask you, are you ready!?"

The crowd which had been invested the entire night erupted into loud cheers and raised their drinks high. They were ready.

"Awesome! Now, our next tag match pits two newcomers to the Pit-a young couple no less! A terrible first date I will say! From Japan, give it up for Ichijo and Kazumi!"

The large doors of the arena opened and right to the announcer's words out stepped the young pair of new fighters. Ichijo looked physically imposing for a man his age. Standing a shade under six feet tall with slightly spiked short dark hair, the man took off the black leather jacket he wore and tossed it aside, revealing a lean muscular physique but more importantly a large elegantly designed black dragon tattoo that covered the majority of his back. White pants her wore had patches of red on it and Japanese characters going along the legs. On his arms he wore black gauntlets to protect himself from weapons.

Looking up at the crowd Ichijo could hear the chants and jeers of those who didn't know why this upstart came into a ring that had been bathed in the blood of countless men and women in its rough history. Still, the young man didn't care in the slightest. 'Let them boo...I'm here to win.'

"Hey there, baby! Why don't you take it off!"

The crowd, fueled by blood lust and booze as well as made up of mostly men filled with alcohol and testosterone, were targeting the young woman with zest.

"Young couple? Get that bimbo and her boyfriend out of here!"

"Whoa check out the hooters on her!"

Copper red hair up in a high tail tied with a black ribbon, she was a woman of Japanese ethnicity in what appeared to be her late teens or early twenties. She wore pink denim jeans with holes in them with patches of white and a pink long sleeved shirt that was stretched to the limit due to her voluptuous chest. They weren't too big instead being properly proportionate with the rest of her figure.

Still, if Kazumi was bothered she didn't seem to be. In fact, she seemed to be taking it with stride. "Same as in Los Angeles." She shrugged her shoulders. With a soft face and a rather petite build, it was a small wonder why she didn't look like a fighter. However, the phrase of never judge a book by its cover was precisely why Ichijo wished people would stop underestimating her. Still, given how often she fought with him in these types of situations he was never a hundred percent certain how she would fare.

He turned to his partner, and for a moment he felt a twinge of uncertainty. "You ready for this, Kazumi?"

Turning to him, the woman put a hand to her chest, "Don't worry about little ol' me, Ichijo. I got this!"

Out of the corner of his lips Ichijo formed a half smile. "I believe you."

As the two friends in the ring began their first fight together against a pair of unsuspecting resident brawlers in the ring, the fighting wasn't confined to the inside of the building. Outside the building that housed the Pit bar and fighting ring was one of the largest parking lots in the city. Broken down vehicles were littering the area but all that did was create seats of those who wouldn't stand to watch the fights going on. A large crowd was circling another tag fight that was just finishing up.

An African American man and a bulking Japanese man had just destroyed their foes and were standing over them triumphantly. Both were covered in sweat and with minor bruises and cuts on their arms and chests.

The smaller man named Jace smacked the bigger man Hanzo on his hard shoulder. A congratulation gesture for having won this fight. "Good going man…" He took a few breaths to gather himself.

A big man with a bigger heart, Hanzo laughed loudly, "You look like you wore yourself out, Jace."

"Sorry big guy but I am in the best shape of my life, thank you," replied Jace before standing up straight. He had short black hair that stuck out in every angle. His shoulders had black sun tattoos on them. Prizes from his lifelong fighting career. Then he added to his friend, "You look like you could lose a few pounds though."

Hanzo took playful offense to that remark. "Hey! I just lost ten pounds the other day. Gwahahaha!" Truth was though he looked like a sumo wrestler, on a small percentage of Hanzo's body mass was actually fat. His physique was misleading and it was usually the downfall of those who underestimated him.

Shaking his head Jace looked around as the crowd dropped their pay, as well as got the two unconscious men they had just beaten off the ground. "Wonder how our pals inside are doing?"

"Let's go and see," said Hanzo as he started to make his way towards the main door. "I need a beer anyway."

"Seriously I can't fucking believe you. We just—hey you hear me?" Jace gave up, as Hanzo openly ignored his attempted plea to lay off any unhealthy food. Instead he went to pick up the hundreds of dollars that had been betted for them that was all over the asphalt.

Eventually he went down to the Pit and saw that Hanzo was already two cans into his favorite hobby of beer drinking. Jace knew he had to put a stop to it early otherwise the money they made on the fight they just finished would be wasted immediately.

"Whoa Hanzo, slow down on the chugging."

Hanzo finished his newest can in one go and crushed the can in his bare hand. After a long belch he threw the can on the floor. "Hell no, Jace. Gimme another! My friend will pay for it, won't you pal?"

"For the love of..." Jace nodded at the bar tender and gave him a single hundred dollar bill. "Just beers okay?"

Then the two men turned to the fight going on inside the arena and to everyone's surprise Ichijo and Kazumi were winning but not in a landslide. Ichijo had been injured in his arms with cuts and bruises, courtesy of a lead pipe thrown in by a rowdy spectator. Thanks to the gauntlets he wore he was able to avoid getting any broken limbs, though he had taken one right to the side of his head, leaving a nasty bruise on his left cheek.

Jace took note of how hard Ichijo was fighting the younger man facing him. Rarely did he see him fight like he was having a tough time. "Jeez, the fight seems to have gone on for a while if he looks like that."

Hanzo didn't share his worry about Ichijo. "I think the boss' holdin' back Jace. Just watch an' you'll see."

Taking a closer look Jace saw something few actually could. He saw a bruised and worn fighter, but Ichijo always had a second wind available when he fought. Just when you thought he was on the ropes or about to go down he would whip up that second wind and he'd let you have it full force.

And right as he noticed that he was holding back, Ichijo took advantage of his opponent's cockiness and launched a straight kick to his jaw that knocked him for a loop. That wasn't it, however as in the same motion he took the momentum from the kick and drove his fist into the opponent in air and sent him flying across the ring and hitting the chain-link fence wall of the pit.

Soon that man was down for the count, and Ichijo was standing tall in victory, much to the shock of the crowd.

Yet that was a side note compared to the cat fight breaking out across the arena. The men were certainly into it, with the new girl beating up on Kazumi by pulling her hair and trying to yank it out by the roots.

That didn't last long.

As if she had enough of pissing around Kazumi forced the woman off of her and swiftly kicked her in the side of the head with a martial arts kick before she could get to her feet. She knew it wasn't enough however and went into a defensive stance. Ichijo, though he could have been helping her, decided to sit back and wait. He knew she could take care of herself and wanted her to show it.

The other woman, an athletic type who now sported a busted lip, got on her feet and was hunched over slightly like a cat. "Come on, you kick fancy but is that all you got?"

A woman like Kazumi would probably be quiet and lash out physically. She did not do that, instead she stood up straight and put her hands on her voluptuous hips. "Asking for more? you look like you're on the edge of defeat."

Having nearly pulled Kazumi's hair out of her skull didn't faze her in the slightest.

The other woman stood up slightly, "Quit your shit and fight me!"

She tackled Kazumi and they both fell to the ground. Now mounted Kazumi had to put her arms up like a boxer suffering a barrage of blows. It was the only way she could defend herself in this position. That was until she drove both knees into her opponent's back and knocked her forward. She got up once again ready to kick her way out of another tackle when the other woman made a mad swing with a closed fist. Luckily for Kazumi it wasn't high enough to get her face, instead getting the side of her left breast and all that did was make it bounce through her clothes. She took the chance to spin her body and get some distance for her.

"Damn your tits!" Shouted the woman.

To her confusion Kazumi tilted her head at her as if confused before looking down at her chest. "Huh? What about them?" To add more uneasiness to the shenanigans Kazumi brought her hands to her chest and cupped herself. "Wow...they are big, aren't they?"

The fact that her breasts were bigger than her hands and she was seemingly feeling herself up drove the hot blooded men in the stands nuts. Ichijo sighed and face-palmed himself.

The other woman didn't think about anything but hurting the stupid girl before her.

Too bad for her Kazumi wasn't as airheaded as she looked at that moment. She noticed her coming at her and with lightning speed, not to mention insane flexibility on her part, she made a vertical kick that connected the sole of her foot to the woman's chin. Blood and broken teeth flew from the impact, and the woman was sent falling back and landed on the ground in unconsciousness.

The fight was over, and Ichijo was quite proud of her. "Good girl."

The crowd went wild at the conclusion to the fight. The winners were surprising to them but they cheered loudly nonetheless as the announcers made their move.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HERE ARE YOUR WINNERS: ICHIJO AND KAZUMI!"

The girl ran to her friend and offered a high five to him. He awkwardly gave her one. Satisfied she gave an excited hop, her chest bouncing with each one. Ichijo rolled his eyes as he noticed her bra slipping out from under her heavily torn shirt. Seems somewhere in her fight her straps had snapped and now was coming out from under her. She didn't seem to notice or if she did she didn't care.

He grabbed his leather jacket and motioned to Kazumi that he was heading to the exit. The girl followed close behind as the crowd, mostly cheering, showed them out.

At the bar Hanzo was laughing while downing his fifth straight can. He had enjoyed the last part quite thoroughly. "What a cat fight!"

As he drank his own water Jace shrugged his shoulders, he had seen the conclusion coming a mile away. 'If they had really tried they could have won within the first few seconds. Yet where would the fun in that be?'

"Jace! Hanzo! Did you see us? We kicked butt!"

Kazumi ran across the room and up to her friends while Ichijo casually did the same. He was sore and wanted to rest.

"We saw most of it. You both did great," said the man as he drank the rest of his water. 'Even if you were holding back.'

Hanzo gently patted the top of Kazumi's head, "Good job there Kazumi." Then he noticed the elephant in the room. "Seems you're having a malfunction there."

He was talking about her undergarment slipping out from under her shirt. To her defense Kazumi hadn't really noticed it, so when she finally did she was genuinely surprised.

"Oh? That's the third one this month…" She pulled the garment out and held it in her hand. The neon pink garment became a magnet to all the guys in the room. Though they eyed her with extreme interest they all steered clear as she was already with three other men, all of which proved they could kick ass. Only an idiot would approach her while they were there.

Ichijo didn't sit down at the bar. He wasn't in the mood for a drink right now. Instead he handed his jacket to Kazumi for her to wear. "Put this on until we get back to the hotel."

The jacket was twice as big as she was and enveloped her as she put it over her shoulders. "Thanks, Ichijo."

"No drinks boss?"

Ichijo shook his head, "We came, we kicked ass, and now we'll leave."

"Not until you pay yer tab," said the bartender, having run out of using the hundred Jace had paid with earlier.

Hanzo looked to Jace who shook his head. All they had left were ones and twenties, but they needed it for their next meal. Then the two turned to Ichijo.

He shook his head, "The check for tonight won't be ready until tomorrow morning."

That meant they had no money to speak of, and if they tried to leave without paying that would be a big problem. The last thing they wanted was the cops on their asses.

"Will this do?"

The voice that answered was Kazumi who held up her useless bra in her hands. The straps had snapped in two places rendering it unusable. Sure she could Gerry-rig it to make it work but the idea in her head was she could barter for their tab. Seriously naive

Surely that wouldn't work, would it?

The bartender nodded, "Make a memorable souvenir." He took the garment from her and noticed how big it was, but he didn't have to ask her what size she was. The tag on it gave the answer to that riddle. "Alright sweetheart. Take your pals and get out of here, and bring money with you next time."

"Yay!" Raising her fist into the air Kazumi cheered, while her three male friends couldn't believe what had just happened. Yet they should have expected it, as it wasn't the first time Kazumi had helped them out. They thanked their lucky stars for her unusual ingenuity to get them out of trouble.

As they left through the doors of the Pit Hanzo only had one question for his friends. "Alright then, whose paying for pizza?"


	13. 013: Welcome to Harvest, City of Steam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvest, Earth-17. A city bigger than New York, Harvest is as down and dirty as it gets for the impoverish and just a stepping stone for the wealthy to use to get to the top. Maxwell knows this, but his new employer doesn't, and thus a new adventure of trial and error lies ahead of him.

The morning commotion had only just begun when Maxwell arrived at 823 Maple Street. The three floor apartment complex turned manor was the residence of his employer Madame Gwendolyn Wayne.

Being nearly seven in the morning he hoped the woman was up and ready for his services. Well, it didn't matter if she did or not. If she didn't need the young man's services then he would simply find work elsewhere. Not like Harvest was balanced with jobs taken.

Yet he felt hesitation at the mere thought of leaving her employment. 'She did give me more money than I would make in a month just from helping her around the city...'

That alone was more than enough reason to remain in her service. For now.

Knocking on the door with the brass knocker Maxwell took off the busboy hat he had stolen weeks ago and had holes in it. Being homeless he had little to work with in terms of clothing save for what he had on his back. Dirty brown jacket with an even dirtier white shirt and brown trousers. An outfit suited for a homeless boy like Maxwell.

Another rather impatient set of knocks happened before the door was opened. A small old man with a thick white moustache opened the door. "May I help you?"

'Great he's cranky,' thought Maxwell. "Uh yeah, I'm here to see Gwen-I mean Mrs. Wayne. Name's Maxwell."

"Oh yes, the boy who helped the lady to her home yesterday," said the old man with a distinct English accent. "I am Ian, manservant to the Wayne family. Please come in."

He stepped aside and Maxwell wasted no time in getting inside. The manor was extremely well kept and clean, with nothing out of order and all the curtains were open, letting the yellowish color of Harvest's sky into the house.

Letting his mind wander Maxwell was eventually brought out of his daydream when Ian led him through the lobby and through the house to the back yard. There in the garden, dressed in a navy blue and white dress was Mrs. Wayne herself. Though he had 'met' her yesterday Maxwell had only heard her voice from inside a mechanical carriage. What he didn't expect was for her to be so...young. Smooth skin, ample chest, and the eyes of a caring mother. Added that she wore a blue corset that was tight on her chest, not to mention that she had a voluptuous figure that seemed to defy her age, Madame Wayne saw Maxwell step foot onto her lawn and motioned him with a smile to join her at her patio table. "Maxwell, dear, thank you for coming so early."

Having lost his usual swagger upon seeing her for the first time with his own eyes, Maxwell was a bit uneasy at uttering any words. Yet he managed to speak a greeting, "Uh, sure...ma'am." He thought it was weird to address the woman like he would someone much older than he was, but she didn't look old enough to be his mother when she looked young enough to be his sister. If he had either to speak of that is.

There was a snooty looking young man dressed in a dominantly white and gold fancy outfit standing next to the lady. Must be someone special to her. The look of utter disdain this young man had for him was easily noted.

"Have a seat, I would like to speak to you."

The orphan took his seat opposite her, not wanting to touch the fine white satin table cloth. He was filthy and didn't want to get anything dirty. "So um, what would you like to know?"

She politely asked, "We'll get to that, but first would you like something to drink? I can have Ian serve up some tea if you wish."

Ian had been waiting at the entrance to the garden and waited on his lady to give him orders.

Never having had anything other than piss poor water and cheap booze, Maxwell's stomach twisted at the idea of having a fancy drink that aristocrats had. Not wanting to be rude to her offer, he accepted humbly. "Sure..."

"Thank you, Lady Gwendolyn you little scat."

The young man standing over the Lady had finally spoken for the first time. His little correction of Maxwell's acceptance had already pushed him into his bad side.

Lady Gwendolyn put her hand up, "Mind your manners, Fredrick. He meant no disrespect."

"But mother-" Fredrick said, trying to argue his case but his mother would have none of it.

"It's alright." Fredrick huffed and kept his mouth shut. The Lady turned back to her guest. "Pardon my son, he is a little reserved with certain company and their lack of supposed etiquette."

'By that she means a homeless, classless, orphan...' thought Maxwell, already not liking Fredrick just from that exchange. "It's alright. How may I be of service today, Miss Wayne?"

"First I would like to personally thank you for helping my people come to the manor. I've never lived in Harvest in my life so I would not know about the city very much. Before you ask, I would rather not spend the time to look at a map."

Typical aristocrat, thought Maxwell, not one to work hard for the most common of knowledge. "Happy to help, though I suppose it would help to avoid the docks from now on. Gangs run around there like crazy. Best not for a lady like yourself to get lost there."

"Note taken." She said just as Ian brought a tray with three cups of tea to the table. "Now, tell me about yourself."

That was point blank, without any wind up and almost caught Maxwell by surprise. Such straight forwardness was not something he knew aristocrats would do.

"Nothing to really say. Born and raised as an orphan, forced to steal to survive, and for the most part looking for menial work just to keep the clothes on my back. Not much more to say than that."

The Madam took a small drink of her tea and gently set the fine china cup on the table. Her expression turned slightly solemn at his story. "I apologize."

"You're the first aristocrat to ever such a thing to me," he replied, his tone telling her he was upset. 'But sweetened words won't save the rest of the kids starving in the Docks...'

A few moments went by before the woman spoke again, "...down to business. I am in need of your extensive knowledge of the city."

"For what?"

"I need you to go and pick someone up and escort them here."

Fredrick put his hand on his mother's shoulder, "Mother please let me go-"

She brushed her son's hand away. "Such a boy as you Fredrick need not endanger yourself." She turned her attention back to Maxwell. "Maxwell I want you to escort my daughter home."

Maxwell raised an eyebrow, "Daughter?"

"Sophia Wayne, my youngest child, she went to college at the University of New York. She's on break from her studies and is on her way to visit me. Normally I would send my son to get her but after what happened the last time I think it'd be better to send someone who knows the city instead."

A sharp exhale from Fredrick was heard but ignored by his mother.

On the other hand Maxwell was appreciating the woman's smarts, she wasn't the typical aloof aristocrat he was used to hearing about from his friends. "So, I go and get your daughter and bring her here and that's it?"

"Yes, that would be-how do the Americans say-the gist of it," she replied before taking another drink of her tea.

Sounds simple enough, thought the homeless boy. He took his cup of tea and downed the contents in one gulp. "I'll do it, Mrs. Wayne, but I'd like something out of it. Guy's gotta eat, you know."

"Of course. I had no intention of asking you to do it for free."

Now came the negotiating part, and Maxwell was ready for that. The other day when he helped her she had given him fifty dollars. That was what he earned in a month being a snitch down at the Docks. He intended to get more out of this errand. "Right, so how much will I get out of this?"

"I'll pay you double for her safe passage."

She ain't playing around, thought Maxwell. "Deal."

"If there is a scratch on her or a hair missing on my sister you'll get nothing, got it boy?" Fredrick threatened. He had tried to sound threatening but the idea that he thought he was intimidating made Maxwell smirk. He was failing miserably.

Standing up Maxwell put his cap back on, "Where can I find her? The train station?"

"Actually the Air Dock located in...Where was it again...oh yes, located in Denton."

That's not good. The thief even chuckled at the incredulousness of this request.

Though she appeared to not have a worry her son Fredrick had other ideas. "What is so humorous?"

"Denton Air dock is fine-depending on the time of day. If your daughter got off there she didn't choose right." The dock itself was alright in terms of safety but when it came to the neighborhoods surrounding it that was where things got dangerous. The hoodlums of the shanty town were mostly run by the Irish Corpse Brigade, a mish mash of thieves and criminals that gave as much as they took. Such a place was unfit for a lady. Not to mention dangerous.

"She has a rather nasty habit of-how did she put it...'living on the edge of danger'."

'Meaning she doesn't think straight.' Still, he was going to get paid for this and so Max thought little more of it. "Alright then, I'll head there and bring her back safely."

The madam reached for a picture on the table and handed it to Maxwell. "This is her."

The boy took the black and white portrait and saw the caption at the bottom as 'our dear Sally, age 17'. He saw a surprisingly good looking girl, long dark hair wearing a white dress and smiling as she seemed to be leaving for school. For an aristocrat she was sure a dandy.

"Please do and hurry, we haven't seen her since she left for college and I would like to see her as soon as possible," said the madam. Her son had that familiar grim look.

"And if she happens to have a hair out of place when you get back, you'll not hear the end of it boy."

Putting his hands up in mock defensiveness Maxwell backed up. "No problem. We'll be back here before you know it." He turned around and put his cap back on his head. 'Only if the entire Brigade is napping.'

Denton was a neighborhood first started by Irish immigrants following the Great Famine back in Ireland forced them out. They owned the place up until the Second Rebellion in the South, fighting to maintain their personal business and refused to work with the government to quell the rebels. Even after the Civil War when the government took back control they still technically ran the place. From every bar and whore house down to the businesses and even the railroads. The only place that wasn't under their wing was the Air Dock, which was owned by a corporate fellow well above them. They steered clear of the docks because of that.

Such, when the air cabs came to the dock and let its passengers off the people on board could rest easy...until they set foot off the dock that was. The moment they did, the thieves would begin their work. The police couldn't help them, nor would they, as their pockets were lined with money from the Brigade to keep their eyes closed and mouths shut to their activities.

Yet on the dock itself, as people waited for the trains to arrive, Sally Wayne stood as if there was nothing to fear. Holding her bag on her delicate hands she rocked back and forth on her heels waiting for her mother to arrive. Looking at the clock on the sign post near the departure times, she noted that her family was already late to greet her home. She wasn't offended of it, as she was sure her mother had other plans at hand.

"Still she could have at least sent brother to see me," she said under her breath. Then again Fredrick wasn't the type of man to bother with menial tasks. He was too attached to mother's side to meet with her. Then there was their manservant but with the recent move he was more than likely busy. Her options weighed and she felt she had a choice to make. "I might have to take a carriage to the house."

A horse draw carriage was fine and all, minus the constant bumping on stone roads but Sally personally loved the airships. the ride from New York to Harvest had been breathtaking, though the price was equally so though not in the same way. A hundred and fifty dollars for the ride was overkill in her mind.

"Still, the sight had been astounding," she admitted before making her way to the exit.

The way to the street in Denton was down a large elevator that was inside a tall building, going straight from the air dock to the station below. From there one could choose a train to take them where they pleased, or a horse carriage for those who preferred fresh air to the loud steam engines of a locomotive.

For Sally she wanted a carriage. She needed to think. "Hopefully the rest of my luggage made it home in one piece; I need to make sure I get my mechanical devices up and running." Having gone to college for mathematics Sally had turned her attention to another subject entirely: engineering. When she had arrived to begin her classes and she had explained what she wanted to do the look on the instructor's face had been comical, like he had never heard of such a thing. Especially for a lady. It was unheard for a woman like Sally, with her long auburn mane, green eyes, and cute looks to engage in anything other than economics but Sally had been adamant about it.

Still, Sally's marks in the subject had made her admission worthwhile, and when her mother found out...

Sally shook her head, "She will live with my choice, I know that much." She was headstrong if not to a point of being naïve. "Just wait until I show her what I have come up with in the last two years!"

The thought alone about showing her inventions to her family filled her with excitement.

She stepped outside the station where the carriages were supposed to be, but found the last one had already left the place. "Dammit..."

Were her brother with her he would have chastised her for swearing.

So now here she waited outside the station, with the piss poor air quality of Harvest for company, as well as people going about their business. They paid her little mind, a lonely college girl dressed in a brown and white dress, not ready for what she believed to be a peaceful neighborhood.

Her guard was down long enough for a young boy to sneak up on her and with iron grip snatch her satchel case from her hands.

Taken off guard because of her own carelessness, Sally began to run after the boy. "Hey! Give that back!"

Both of them took off down the street, the passersby hardly paying attention to them as they knocked people away. The boy was smaller and no doubt faster dressed in his rags while in comparison Sally was in heels and wore a dress made more for classes than a foot exercise. She was losing him because of it.

But she had to get that satchel back, it contained all her schematics for her inventions she had made up in school.

Yet as she ran she noticed that he was pulling ever so further away with each step. At this rate she would lose the boy entirely.

She would have, had it not been for a quote of good luck on her part.

They turned the corner and as if right out of thin air a speeding object came and crashed into the boy, knocking him to the stone ground and the satchel went flying in the air. Sally stopped just in time to catch it in her arms, and to catch her breath at the same time.

The boy scrambled to get away, forgetting the satchel and took off for a side street.

What he had run into was already trying to get to his own feet. "Damn brat watch where you're going!" He stood up and put his run down cap back on his head. He turned and was immediately met by Sally.

There he seemed to have made a discovery. Taking a long look at the girl's face, his attention snapped as he came to the realization of something important.

Sally on the other hand seemed confused. "Yes?"

Reaching into his jacket pocket the boy pulled out a photograph and looked at it. Then he smiled, "Found you."

She was still confused.

"Easier than I thought it would be. Anyway, I'm Maxwell, and you're Sally Wayne right?"

How did this boy know my name? Sally stood up straight and held her bog to her midsection tightly. She got defensive at this stranger knowing that much about her, but she was slightly more offended that he wasn't treating her like a proper woman. He hadn't even taken off his cap in her presence. "I am, and what's it to you?"

"Sheesh no need to get your bloomers in a twist."

Such use of words to her made her jaw drop. Sally raised her chin, "State your business or be on your way. I have important matters to attend to."

"Looks to me like you need directions to get home, which is why I am here. Your mother sent me to fetch you."

That got her attention. "My mother sent you to get me? You must be joking."

Rolling his eyes Maxwell crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey sweetheart unless you want to lose that bag of yours again I strongly suggest you take my advice and follow me. Otherwise it will get uglier the further you go into this neighborhood."

She looked as though she had been slapped in the face. "Sweetheart? Excuse me?"

Yet seeing no other alternative than to take this delinquent's advice, Sally lowered her hands and took a breath. "Fine, but if your first impression is anything to go by then you-"

"I'm just here to escort you home, Miss Wayne, any other problem you have with me is nothing to me. Come on, we'll wait inside the station, it's better there than out here."

Maxwell started walking down the walkway again and though he didn't see it Sally stomped her foot at his attitude towards him.

A dandy she was, but what an ugly temper she had otherwise.


	14. 014: Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karst, Earth-20. A frozen world, humans live underground in fear of the Frostians. Yet, those 'evil' elves have interest in the dreadful humans they were born to hate. Gladius can't see how, and Iclyn has her curiosity shaken when she gets a look at her foes...

The sky was clear and the sun, though it's rays were weak, provided what little warmth it could. The snow covered landscape didn’t flinch in its wake.

Gladius always thought that, even when it was its deadliest, snow was beautiful. When the sun shined, whenever it wasn’t cloudy that is, as well as at night when the moon beamed its luminescent light down on it. It always fascinated him, and he never tired of it in his entire life.

His dark iron armor was spotless in the constant wind. The snow melted before it even reached him thanks to the magic heating under the surface of the metal. It was how he was able to survive for as long as he had in this deadly landscape of snow and ice. That and it made him stick out easily thanks to its darkened hue, preventing him from ever being lost in the wilds of the valley.

The Boreal Valley was a place wrought with danger and not just from the elements. As a scout of the underground settlement of Karst, he had to keep an eye out for the usual dangers. Yet he had had never had the need to draw his sword in the face of such danger. That was the only time when he ever found himself to be bored at his post.

A dark cloth covered the bottom half of his face and ears while a visor of sorts covered his eyes, his short darkened hair had minor traces of snow from the usual wind.

"Gladius!"

The soldier turned from his post and saw his friend approach him, dressed in armor similar to his own though he didn’t have the face covering like he did.

"Phineas, what brings you here?"

It wasn’t often that his friend, who had just started his career as a sentry of Karst only recently, had come up to see him. Phineas wasn’t out of his teenage years like Gladius was, and his youthful expression showed it. "I came to let you know that you're relieved for the day. The Commander is putting me in your place."

Gladius blinked, unsure of the validity of such a change. He had been a sentry since he had first picked up a sword, which was years ago. Phineas hadn’t even learned how to use one properly.

"Tell the commander that putting a rookie in such a post isn’t something I agree with. I'd rather stay on for a while longer."

He wasn’t being intolerant of his superior as Phineas would be lead to believe. Gladius was just looking after his friend.

Shrugging his shoulders, and appearing somewhat relieved, Phineas turned and ran back down the steep slope to the village below.

Gladius sighed and looked out at the valley he was meant to be guarding his village from. a thick line of trees was a few hundred yards from where he stood and if anything was going to try and attack his home they would be seen right away.

Gladius chuckled, "Though only the elves would be stupid enough to try and attack head on."

The terrible ice elves. Dwellers of the frozen north. The cold hearted spell casters who freeze anything in their wake. Monsters of horror, meant to scare misbehaving children into staying in line.

They were real, according to the commander and elders of the village of Karst. Yet to the average villager and even for Gladius he had never seen one with his own eyes. Being a soldier since he was fourteen and being through the wilds surrounding the entrance to Karst he had never seen any evidence that the ice elves inhabited the world and had regarded them as pure myth. Though when asked by the children if he had seen one or not he would always lie and tell them to be good or else he'd let them know. That wasn’t always a popular move on his part but he got a laugh out of it.

He put his eyes forward and smiled through his covering. Surely if the ice elves were real he would have seen one by now, right?

It's not like one was right in front of him, watching him, was it?

From the safety of the tree line across the way a curious pair of eyes watched the soldiers guarding the entrance to the Subterran village. They didn’t notice they were being watched, and it wasn’t by an animal.

The beautiful violet eyes that watched the soldiers were partially hidden by a white cloak and the hood shielded Iclyn from being seen. The cloak was a natural camouflage, enabling her to meld into the surroundings just by wearing it. She had no fear of being seen.

'These are the Subterrans? The ones we are meant to fear and loathe above all else?' She had been watching the man up ahead for only a few minutes, and she couldn’t help but see nothing for her to be afraid of. Sure they wore heat generating armor that was sure to be harmful to the touch of her kind, and they were armed with weapons far more primitive to their own, but other than that as well as physical differences surely Subterrans and the Frostians were no different from one another?

In her twenty years of living on this planet, Iclyn had always been bitten by the proverbial curiosity bug. No matter the danger, when she asked a question and didn’t get a satisfactory answer she would go and get one herself. It drove her superiors and her father up the wall, and made her look as if she were a rebel child. Which is the only real reason she was breaking her village's rule of never going near the land outside the safety of the forest. There was no guarantee she would survive being outside its shell. Even with this in mind, the Frostian woman watched with curiosity and fascination at the man across the way.

A gust of wind came by and blew the cloak back as well as the hood on her head. Not forgetting she was supposed to be hiding she ducked behind the tree. the cold didn’t bother her even in her garb which consisted of a long sleeved dark blue leotard and armored leggings that went to her knees. The elegant jacket she wore which identified her as a spell blade to her superiors was revealed and showed off her chest in a v-shaped opening. Short silver hair contrasted with the white of the snow and her long pointed elven ears were seen. She was a beauty even by Frostian standards, which made the fact that she was a soldier even more fascinating as well as unusual to those who didn’t know Iclyn.

Still, she kept her eyes forward and failed to notice she too had been watched this entire time.

"You've been a naughty girl, Iclyn."

The Frostian woman peered up and saw another woman approaching her. She was similar in appearance save for her eyes were clear blue and her hair was much longer.

"You here to chastise me again, Friede?"

The two sisters got together and now that they stood side by side one could see the resemblance they shared, despite being only step siblings. That and personality wise they couldn’t be any more different. While Iclyn was care free and curious her older step sibling was a rule follower and a bit overbearing with her responsibilities. They still got along. 

most of the time that is.

"Well, better me than father, correct?"

Iclyn put her hood back over her head and peeked around the edge of the tree, and saw the Subterran soldier still standing there like a sentry waiting for the coming horde. 

"I can't help myself."

"You know that curiosity of yours will get you into far more trouble than this one of these days."

The younger woman sighed, "But aren’t you one to wonder about why we are supposed to hate the Subterrans so? I know we've been told they kill us without a second thought but have you ever asked why?"

Watching over her sister's shoulder Friede saw the sentry across the way. Surely he didn’t look imposing from this distance but she knew the stories and would rather not subject her sister to the danger wrought with it.

"Still, unless you want to be locked in your room until the day you die you'd best be heading back to your post. Lest father finds you."

Taking a long glance at the soldier she had been watching and reluctantly, and begrudgingly, pulled herself away from the tree and headed back into the forest.

One day, she promised, she would gather up the courage and go beyond the forest.

Whenever Iclyn made a promise, she always kept it. It was the way she had always been.

Little did she know, her destiny had already been sealed today. It was only a matter of time before she would take notice.

Both of them would 'fore long.


	15. 015: Rebelle Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New York City, Earth-13. Three sisters who hide a deadly secret, but that's the only thing they tend to hide...

"C'mon Damon, we got to go to this new place I heard about. All the hottest human girls go there!"

Damon smirked at the idea. "They delicious?"

The demon dressed in red and black flannel and jeans smirked. "In more ways than one."

Damon couldn't wait. It had been a few days since he had fed on humans, and even longer since the last time he had fed on young women. They were always the most delightful.

Late night in New York City and Damon and his buddies were itching for some fun. Of course there was only one place for these hot blooded devils to go at one in the morning in the human realm, and it was the single hottest place in the city since it opened.

It was called the Underworld, and rather fitting. Hidden from prying eyes in the basement of an abandoned strip mall, the newest gentlemen's club of the Big Apple was dark and yet full of neon colored light. A large stage and bar with three separate cat walks that went out into the crowd.

That same crowd was packed to the point of overflowing along the lit walkways.

Though a gentlemen's club the men in this place were not gentle, nor were they men. Most if not all of them were demons in human form, masquerading as hungry young men looking for a good time at the expense of their unsuspecting human hosts.

Damon and his friends were no different. Taking on the forms of twenty something men claiming to be 'out of town' and looking for a good time before heading down south once again.

Loud rock music, always a plus in this place, and drinks flowing was always the signal for a good time. Yet there was something missing.

The catwalks and the poles at the end of them were not being used.

"Where are the girls?"

While his other friends disappeared into the crowd the one that wore flannel stuck around a bit longer. "This place has a special event called the 'Auction'. I think you'll get a kick out of it."

Before he could ask how that would happen Damon found himself alone as his last friend went and vanished into the crowd heading towards the bar.

'Not like I haven't had enough fun in this town,' he thought as he went towards the first catwalk. He had tried eating humans earlier in the day but all he had found was the homeless, and he wasn't in the mood for them. He needed something with life, something supple and full of energy. "Man I am starving for a meal..."

Strippers sounded just like the perfect meal ticket in his mind. As soon as he got to the front of the crowd, after much pushing and shoving that is, the event of the night had begun to get rolling. He went and leaned on the railing in front of the middle catwalk.

"Hello, guys!"

An announcer's voice bellowed over the loudspeaker and the crowd went silent for the most part.

"Welcome to the Underworld, where you'll find the greatest booze and even hotter girls than you would find topside! I see almost everyone here has a shot glass in their hand, but one other thing is missing. What do you say guys? Ready for the girls?"

A thunderous applause and cat calls signaled they were more than ready.

The announcer was more than happy to oblige. "Very well then, here we go! The Underworld presents in their debut showing: the Rebelle Sisters!"

Rock music played, this one from the eighties that more than added fuel to the fire of the atmosphere. The music played and the crowd roared but not loud enough to drown out the announcer.

"First up is a gal who is sure to bring out your inner devil. Here is Sindy!"

Her name was not a typo or a stage name made for her, as it was spelled with an 'S' and not a 'C'. Not that anyone would care about that anyway. A girl who looked to be no older than twenty strutted out onto the stage on the right catwalk. Her walk was that of a no nonsense woman while her face gave a look that seemed to be one that could kill with a single glare. Her type of dress was similar to a stereotypical goth but the way she grabbed hold of the pole showed she wasn't shy in the slightest. She wore a black crop top with a pink stone pendant dangling around her neck. Her outfit hid very little of her skin, which was slightly paler than normal and covered in intricate tattoos from the right side of her face down to her knee. Black lips and hazel eyes could be seen from behind the short bangs her short hair style that reached down to her hips. Her black and white pleaded skirt had steel chains dangling from the metal clasp. More like a punk than a goth the way she didn't smile and instead gave all the men the same coldhearted stare that seemed to scream 'come and get me' if they dared.

Sindy went and danced around the pole like a woman who knew her way around such a thing, but given it was her first time on a stage it was downplayed as beginner's luck. Her body wasn't a typical stripper's body, what with a small chest but curvaceous hips accentuated by the high heeled boots she wore. Yet even with that one disadvantage it still helped her as she was able to prove she was flexible like a gymnast.

Sindy danced only for as long as the song played, but she was nonetheless showered with dollar bills by the time she was done. An impressive debut. She stood with her back to the pole and her hands up over her head, her characteristic glare still set in stone.

Still even as she finished the music only changed to the next song.

The curtain was pulled back on the left side of the stage, revealing the next dancer and unlike Sindy the girl didn't look like she wanted to be there.

"Now be nice guys, for Sindy's younger sister is a bit on the shy side. Give a nice warm welcome to the lovely Lulu!"

Having to be shoved forward, Lulu nearly tumbled on the six inch heeled shoes she was wearing. The only saving grace was her outstretched hands connected with the pole and she was able to cushion her fall against it. Dressed in a vastly different outfit than Sindy, Lulu wore thick square rimmed glasses and also unlike her sister she had a much curvier figure. Her chest was big, each breasts bigger than her hands and her skin soft to the eyes. As to her attire she wore something that was called the 'virgin killer sweater' that drove men nuts. It was open on the sides and if she were to move too quickly in one direction her chest would pop out which was what the guys were hoping for. It also provided little protection to her hips, and her underwear was easily seen and unable to be hidden from anyone looking at her. Her auburn hair, tied up in a long tail that went down her back which was open thanks to the sweater, swayed with her body. Around her neck was a pendant similar to Sindy's.

While she was like a living Venus in terms of body type, there was one problem with Lulu. She was clueless as to what to do and stood in place in absolute terror, only looking to her side in the direction of Sindy. She was looking for reassurance but all she got was a look that told her to do something other than stand there.

Yet Lulu's face was as red as an apple and all she did was stand still. Still, not wanting to disappoint her sisters and embarrass herself further, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ready to take her dignity to the lowest level for the rest of her life.

The next song started, the DJ giving her another shot to make up for standing still for nearly four minutes.

From where he stood Damon noticed that as soon as she removed her thick rimmed glasses and tossed them aside Lulu's entire being seemed to change. the uneasiness disappeared as she grabbed the pole and swung herself around it. Then her mind went dirty as she stood behind the pole and pressed the center of her chest against it, her massive breasts straddling the metal bar through the fabric of her sweater. No doubt she knew what the guys wanted and to further drive them wild she lightly, enticingly, ran her lips over the surface and added the sugar to the sweetness by flicking the tip of her tongue on it.

When her song finished Lulu sat down provocatively hugging the pole and looking at the hungry men in front of her. She too was showered with bills, though whether she had made more than her sister was unknown.

Yet the night wasn't over yet.

Damon heard there were three sisters, and yet there were only two on the stage. He liked both Sindy and Lulu but he didn't seem to enjoy the idea of eating either of them. 'Sindy is flexible enough but not enough meat...then Lulu, damn she has the body but she seems awkward...' His thoughts blinded him to the announcer's words. He wondered what the final sister was like...

The announcer spoke loudly, excited after seeing the two girls put on their show. "We saved the best for last, guys! Here is, all the way from the cold land of Mother Russia, a girl whose hair is red as blood and hot to match. She'll drive you wild like a child. Here is the youngest Rebelle sister, the Devil's Daughter: Polina!"

A rock song with a heavy guitar rift started and the curtain on the stage was pulled back. With her back to the crowd stood a woman her red mane reaching halfway down her neck. She turned sharply to look over her shoulder and growled at the men who were damn near ready to jump over the railing in order to get their hands on the woman. Polina went down the center walkway, walking like a woman on a mission and swaying her hips hard with each step. Her steel tipped knee high shoes were four inch heels and she didn't have a problem walking in them. A loose low cut white tank top with a torn bottom hem that exposed her midsection was all that held back her chest. She was slightly smaller than Lulu but was no less desirable. She reached the pole and like a certified gymnast she climbed all over it, most notably when she had to show off her hips in her black denim short shorts. On her left shoulder was a red Soviet hammer and sickle tattoo. While her hair was short and was indeed crimson red the end tips were black with some kind of highlight. A pink stone was attached to the black banded choker she wore around her neck.

So she danced, getting all sorts of cat calls and hoots as well as hollering from the rowdy crowd, more both her sister's combined if one were to be honest, and the biggest difference was she seemed to be enjoying it. Smiling and loving how she was teasing like a naughty girl and she was getting away with it all.

When the song ended Polina slid down the pole before standing on her own two feet, light level of sweat covered her face and chest.

Damon himself was appealed by her performance. He knew who he wanted to feast on. He threw every single dollar bill he had on his person and even outstretched his hands as if to welcome her into his arms-

Then a shot rang out. A scream of panic followed and all eyes turned to the entrance.

Four men dressed in white robes adorned with the symbol of the Christian Cross came into the room and most of the people they went by recoiled in pain and anguish at the sight of the holy symbol. Demon slayers of the Order of St. Benedict, the demon slayer organization that patrolled Manhattan on a regular basis. The lead man, a young man dressed similarly to that of a priest pointed vehemently in the direction of the stage. "Halt in the name of the Lord!"

At first Damon thought they were pointing at him. 'The hell did I do?'

But as it turned out it wasn't him the slayers were after.

"Think it's time you move, honey."

The low level demon turned and saw that Polina, as well as her two sisters Sindy and Lulu, were standing together on the center platform. They no longer looked like strippers, or even human.

No longer held back in the face of their enemies, the sisters turned the magic of their pendants off, and now they revealed their true selves.

Lulu's eyes turned a hot pink. The sweater she wore dissolved as demonic skin covered parts of her body and a small set of demonic wings formed from her back as well as a demonic tail came from her backside. Her head sprouted a pair of thin curved horns from her temples. Her appearance was now that of a succubus.

Not to be outdone, Sindy's nails extended to sharp points and her canines extended into longer fangs. Her eyes showed off the unmistakable red glow identifying her as a vampire.

Finally, Polina became engulfed in a fire red and orange aura as a black and red long coat appeared on her body, open on the front. She smirked as the handle of her favorite weapon formed in her hand. Pressing the button on the side of it extended the blade to form something similar to a whip. True to her name, the Devil's daughter was now where she wanted to be, where she had the most fun. She pointed her sword at the slayers, who appeared to be dumbstruck by what they saw form in front of them.

Polina enjoyed their fear. "Lulu. Sindy. It's show time girls."

Then all hell broke loose in the Underworld.


	16. 016: Bonfire in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outside Paris, Earth-04. The Dark Lands, a place where danger lurks around every corner, yet three travelers are on their way through such a place without fear.

A single campfire was burning and the only source of light in the dark forest. It gave Bart the creeps. The silence was deafening. Except for the gentle running stream nearby and the cackling of the camp fire, Bart couldn't hear anything else. No animals, not even crickets.

He wasn't surprised, given where he was.

'The Dark Lands are usually deprived of life.'

The bard sat near the fire. He had finished eating his rations and was now trying to rest. However, he found that hard to do given their location, and the impressive structure that was not that far away.

A large wall, many stories high and built crudely, loomed in the distance. Known as the Wall to the countryside peasants, it stretched from the North Seat to the South Sea, a distance of over eight hundred miles. it was the only thing that kept them safe from the monstrosities and dangers that lurked beyond it. It had been the only saving grace humanity had from certain destruction. No one with a sound mind had ever thought to traverse it for fear of their own lives.

Come tomorrow, he would count himself and his companions as those fools. Yet as crazy as it sounded Bart looked forward to it. 'More material to share with the people back home,' he thought with a degree of excitement. The young red headed man had always lived for excitement and telling stories to people.

His fellow travelers were in their space and mindset as the night dragged on. Sitting on the other side of the fire opposite Bart was a woman with long silver white hair tied in two intricate tails going down the front of her shoulders. Though she looked to be no older than twenty the woman known as Unica gave off a mature vibe when she spoke, which had been rarely since Bart had been with her. Of course he'd never forget the moment he met her. Walking along the road outside the village of Paris, a tall silver staff in her left hand, the bell that dangled from it had been ringing softly and that was the first clue he had gotten to her presence. Of course Bart had thought to charm the woman when he approached her, but she had told him off in the most distinct manner he had ever been told.

'Speak not of affection for me, for I have none for your kind.'

Her tone had been cold and somewhat off-putting, like she didn't have time for him and his shenanigans.

'My kind? She mean me as a human or as a man with my tastes?'

That had been one of the reasons the man had decided to tag along with her and her friend two days ago. Nothing like a good mystery to solve especially when a beautiful woman was involved. And Unica was no doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Dressed in a set of revealing grey robes that exposed her mid drift and most of her shapely legs, she wasn't ashamed of how revealed she was in her robes. Even as the underside of her chest was revealed as well as the center, where one could make out the curves of her ample chest, didn't seem to affect her and instead seemed to show off her maturity. Unica easily and without trying outdid any other woman Bart had seen on his travels. Her silver irises shined even in the dark and that also had a level of appeal that the bard couldn't describe with justice.

However, the bard quickly found out that Unica wasn't as mysterious as her companion.

He turned off to the side when he heard the distinct sound of armor approaching the fire. The light of the blaze soon shined on the darkened grey armor of what appeared to be a knight coming from the dark forest. Standing over seven feet tall the armor made the man look bigger than that even. The armor was of crude design but it covered most of the man's body, yet it wasn't bulky to where he strained to breathe in it as he sat down near the fire. While the armor was crude and had intricate markings all over it what got Bart was the helmet. It covered the man's whole head and two long vertical horns came from the temples. It looked distinctly like that of the fearsome dragons of ages past. Then there was the yellow eyes that could be seen past the visor. An unnatural, if not inhuman color that was the same as the dirty cape that flowed from his shoulders, the end of which was in tatters.

Bart had seen the man carrying a weapon of some sorts. A javelin or spear that was golden yellow, just like the gem on his chest plate. He hoped the man was as good with that weapon as he seemed to be, otherwise the monsters on the other side of the wall would make short work of the three.

"Master Lukas. What news does thou bring?"

Unica had addressed the knight with dignity and respect, something that she had not shown to Bart. That didn't bother him though, as he knew he hadn't yet earned respect from either of them. He was just a traveler looking for adventure and Unica's hand in marriage. That last one was a fantasy, yet he still chased it with glee.

Yet even as the bard knew nothing about the knight he couldn't help but notice something about him. Like Unica having a veil of mysteriousness hidden under her beauty, Bart couldn't help but respect Lukas whenever he was in his presence. He was intimidating for sure in his fearsome dark grey armor, but under that there had to be more.

Yet as long as he had been travelling with them (two days to be exact) Bart had never heard either of them make small talk with each other or even to Bart himself. Though they had allowed him to come along with them they never told him why and as curious as the bard was his fear won out and he never asked why.

That mysteriousness is what made good stories, and Bart made a mental note of it.

Lukas continued to stare at the fire. It was hard to tell if he was looking at anything else due to the way his helmet prevented his face from being seen. His voice was heavy, almost a growl. "The wall is down the road, past the village of Nice. We move at daybreak, and we will reach it by noon."

Feeling the tension in the air going up Bart decided to snap it like a branch. He put his arms up over his head and groaned, "Okay then. Sun up it is. So, who will play night watch?"

Bart had asked out of curiosity but he had a distinct feeling he knew what the answer would be.

"I will take watch for the night."

That answer had come not from Lukas but from Unica.

So the bard had been proven wrong. Again.

"You sure Lady Unica? I can do it if you wish to rest."

The woman took hold of her staff in her left hand, the bell gently rang just above her head from the curve of the staff. She didn't respond to his offer.

"Fear not, Bart. She can handle herself," said Lukas as he continued to stare at the fire, his tone unchanged.

"If you say so, sir knight," replied Bart as he went to lie down in his sleeping bag near the fire. As far as he knew he was the only one who had blankets to sleep with. The knight went to a nearby tree and sat against it. Being in that armor was no doubt uncomfortable to lie down in so sitting up was probably the best way to sleep.

That left the bard with being in his own sleeping bag near the fire. Still he had company as he heard Unica's bell ringing lightly behind him. To help with his drifting the young man turned to have his back to the fire and his eyes forward to see the woman watching into the darkness of the forest. A comforting sight for sure.

In a way it was what finally helped him relax before drifting off to sleep.


	17. 017: Husband & Wife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North of Salem, Earth-06. The night of a near full moon and Michael is suffering, but luckily the one person who could help him is there...

Michael's eyes shot open and he sat up straight. His hands went to his temples, which throbbed in extreme pain. He groaned loudly as sweat flowed from his forehead.

Initially shaken by the sudden movement, the gorgeous young woman next to him sat up slowly, sleep still had a slight hold of her. "Michael?"

Through gritted teeth the former soldier spoke to his wife. "Damn head hurts, Claire."

Putting a hand on his broad shoulder, the young woman tried to console her husband. "A migraine?"

Feeling the veins bulge in his temples Michael slowly shook his head. This pain was vastly different from a typical headache. It was the kind he absolutely dreaded. "Much worse."

She didn't any further explanation than that. "Wait here."

She climbed out of bed, the long skirt of her white gown flowing behind her as she quickly left the bedroom. Michael watched her as she left, running his hands through his short ebony hair. Claire knew how to handle this situation and he hoped she got back before he would attempt to crush his own skull.

Taking deep breaths in his attempt to alleviate the pain Michael felt it ease slightly but still felt the stinging pain go through his head. He tried to take his mind off the pain by looking around the bedroom. The room was bare save for twin dressers for himself and his wife as well as Claire's vanity. The door to the master bathroom was open and the light was off. The bedroom door was wide open. The northern wall behind the bed was made of tall glass windows that led onto a balcony

"Maybe some fresh air will do me some good..." he said lowly before climbing out of the bed. He felt the soft carpet under his bare feet though it did little to comfort his aching head.

The Howlett's bedroom had a balcony attached to it that gave a view of the backyard and the woods that surrounded the house. Michael went through the door and stepped outside onto the wooden porch. He was immediately met by the cold autumn air that sent goosebumps along his bare chest.

Michael didn't need a light to help him along the balcony. The light of the moon above did that for him. He peered up at the glowing orb in the night sky. Not quite full and the stars shined brightly around it. Would have made for a romantic sight with his wife under normal circumstances.

Much normal circumstances.

Michael leaned on the wooden railing, his blue eyes piercing a hole through the woods ahead of him. His hands gripped the railing tightly. The sudden urge to run out there and be free made him grab the railing, holding on for dear life.

'Keep it together...the moon isn't full. You can handle this, dammit! Concentrate!'

Then he heard it, the sound of an unnatural howl that pierced the silence of the night. Animals ran for their lives, birds flew from the trees and the air seemed to get colder. The howl reached his ears and Michael's entire body froze, his hands gripped the railing so hard that cracks formed in the wood.

Though technically a werewolf could only transform on a full moon, the legends never mention the influence of other nights when the moon was out. It still had major influence on those afflicted with the lycan blood flowing their veins. Michael suffered from it on a near nightly basis, only receiving a reprieve when the clouds covered the moon or on a night of a new moon. Tonight the moon was over three quarters full and it was pushing his limits to near breaking point.

The color of his eyes started to flicker to a bright inhuman yellow. He could feel the urge to go full wolf course through his body and it was taking all his will power to keep himself from jumping over the railing and run into the woods. Yet he fought back, struggling to maintain any semblance of control, to remain human.

Yet his mind drifted off to less rational thoughts. That howl was at the forefront. An intruder in his domain? Like he'd let them get away with trespassing without suffering the consequences-

A soft warmth grazed his shoulder. "Darling?"

The man snapped his head in the direction of his wife's voice and it spooked her.

She was shaken, but with steel resolve she stood her ground. She had something for him, and she hoped she had arrived in time to help him. She offered him a small glass filled with a green liquid, "Michael, take this."

With what grip he had left in his human side Michael took the glass and without thinking gulped it down in one go. "Shit..." the taste was bitter and sour, making him gag as the sting stuck to his tongue long after the drink reached his stomach. He took a breath and as quickly as he felt his body start to calm down and he began to feel drowsy. He looked at Claire, her expression was one of worry. "thanks...I think I'm good now."

The witch smiled lightly, "That's good. Come, let's go back to bed."

Though a full head shorter than him Michael let Claire take hold of his hand and pull him back inside. She led him to sit down on the bed while she set the glass on the bedside table as well as turned on the lamp. Michael leaned on his elbows cradling his aching head. Yet even through that he felt the urge to sleep beginning to grow deep inside. The effect of the drug Claire had given him was hitting hard and fast, just what Michael wanted. "What was in that stuff?"

Claire came out of the restroom when he had asked that question. "Liquidized wolves bane and sleeping weed. My own concoction."

"Wolves bane? Isn't that poisonous to werewolves?"

"I watered it down considerably, to the point where it gives a minor sting instead of being poison. You'll be fine, trust me."

Michael knew better than to question Claire. When it came to her medicines he knew she was damn good at keeping him alive as well as herself. He would never consider less of her.

She went and stood in front of him and Michael looked up to see her looking down at him. Her long dark blue hair cascaded down her shoulders and onto her buxom chest. Her shoulders were bare save for the thin straps of the night gown she wore. Her expression as she examined her husband was deep but affectionate. She examined his face, noticing his complexion turning slightly pale but other than that there didn't seem any side effects showing.

Satisfied with her examination Claire smiled, "You should be okay for the night."

She went and sat down next to her husband, and Michael felt her rest her head on his right shoulder. "What would I do without you, Claire?"

The woman giggled lightly, an assuring gesture to relax her husband, though she couldn't help but agree with him with a degree of modesty. "Let's not think about that."

She placed a gentle hand on his leg and Michael took it in his own. He had always shown his wife the gentleness she earned, and deserved. Being married for three years and not even in their mid-twenties, both the Howlett's loved each other in a way that few people could understand. Claire, a witch from the 18th century frozen in time for three hundred years until Michael had found her, viewed her husband as her guardian and lover as well as mentor in the ways of the 21st century that she was unfamiliar with. Michael, a former soldier who was afflicted with the curse of the werewolf, saw his wife as his anchor to his humanity and reason to live. He also saw his life's mission to make her happy, by whatever means he could.

Sighing lightly, Michael leaned his own head onto hers. He took her advice once again. Instead of thinking of the now, he looked to the future. "I think we should head into town in the morning. See if there is anything we need."

His wife was well ahead of him. "I got a list."

"Then we better to sleep," said Michael, feeling the effects of the sleeping weed begin to get to his system.

As if she couldn't wait for a day of shopping in Salem the woman climbed to her side of the bed and pulled the covers to her chest. Her husband did the same though a bit more slowly. Yet when he laid down she huddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest, and her hand was on his belly.

Michael's mind was finally at peace. As long as she had Claire by his side, he could suffer through anything.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeonog Island, Earth-07. During the Chilseok Festival, two vastly different people cross paths not knowing that their destinies are forever entwined by a chance encounter. This is how they met.

Even in the dead of night the humidity was terrible on Yeonog Island.

South Korean's farthest territory was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at the equator and thus the climate for it was appropriate towards the end of summer. The island that served as the gateway to the afterlife for the spirits of the dead was always covered in a thin mist after the sun set, a veil that didn't lift until first light the following morning. It gave an eerie vibe for outsiders, but to those who lived here it was an everyday thing.

The whole island was asleep, save for the few who had their reasons to be outside this late. Yet for the dead it was their time to roam. Yeonog wasn't just a place for the dead in a metaphorical sense. The island which had for over a thousand years served as a burial site for the deceased humans was also a place where their spirits could dwell until they were sent to paradise for eternal comfort or to the netherworld for eternal punishment.

Most of them were in the rightfully named City of the dead, where the oldest spirits resided. It was an island itself, with a wide river encircling it with a handful of gates which led to bridges that were the only ways to reach it. The city itself was largely the remains of old buildings dating back to the Joseon Period, all nearly destroyed by its past residents or the elements until the 1960s when human politicians wanted to reserve the city as culturally significant.

Seven hundred thousand humans populated the island, but the number of spirits that called the Dead City their home was uncountable. As such a huge amount of spirits were in the city, itching to be outside its boundaries, the force known as the soulgadeu or Soul Guard kept them in as well as prevented them from causing trouble. Spirits themselves, the Guard endlessly patrolled the city to keep the peace.

One such guard was patrolling the area near the southwest bridge that led into the city. No mere human without the proper sixth sense could see him, and so Jeung went about his patrol without a care. Dressed in all black attire more akin to the time of Joseon including the black gat that signaled what he was, the spirit had the look of a young man in his late teens but he had been a spirit for many hundreds of years. He had lost count of how many years he had been dead, yet it didn't bother him. He had lost his left arm as well as his left eye when he died. He could go on without remembering anything else if need be.

A long sword was tied to his back and a smaller one was at his left hip, short ebony hair covered the left side of his face, hiding his missing eye and some burn scars.

Though the night was quiet and the mist thin his attention went to the moon above him. No matter how much he looked at it, the moon remained the most beautiful object in all creation.

"Looking up at it won't make it get any closer, Jeung," said a voice.

The man turned to see another spirit, dressed similar to himself but much older approach him. Jeung nodded his chin once, the only custom he felt necessary. "Lord Yi Wu."

Wu was a much older man with a long gray beard and matching grey eyes to show for it. "I see you have taken to sightseeing the moon once again."

"Three other guardsmen are taking my shift for the night. Thought I could use the time alone to think."

The old man chuckled at the expected answer. "You earn your reprieves, young man, take heart in knowing there are those who understand."

"Thank you," said Jeung before turning back to the bright orb in the night sky. "The goddess has me mesmerized, my lord."

"Myeongwol enjoys your gaze, I am sure," replied the old man. "But I am sure it would be better to view such a sight arm in arm with a lovely woman."

Jeung wanted to keep silent on that remark.

"But I am here on business, and I want to let you know to be on alert. There is a dreadful matter that must be dealt with utmost urgency."

Jeung turned to the other spirit, noticing how somber his appearance had gone in a mere moment. "A dreadful matter? What would that be?"

"There have been sightings of a trio of ghouls in nearby residences in the human territory. Three kidnappings in the last four days by a trio of ghouls. The bodies are found in ditches the day after they are lost. Though they appear physically unharmed their souls are gone."

This wasn't news to the young guard. "I have heard such stories..." said Jeung before turning towards the city in the distance. The capital city of the island known as Danku, home to a large chunk of the human population. "But without any other leads I haven't been able to leave the city to investigate."

"I believe that if this trio isn't stopped they will cause uproar with the Life Bureau. They make our duties hard enough as it is."

"You worry too much. Once I find a lead I will take on this task myself."

"Oh, Jeung, ever the loner. Are you sure you do not need assistance? Over twenty guards on duty and you want to take this on by yourself?"

Jeung shook his head. There was no changing his mind when it was made up. "I will handle it."

The sun rose at exactly 7:02 the following morning. That was around the time that her alarm went off and her morning began.

Nari Park, seventeen year old aspiring dancer, had to be at her school before eight. Luckily she had her morning routine down to a tee. A short hot shower, followed by eating her breakfast, and finally changing into her black and white school uniform took less than thirty minutes. She did up her hair as she left her house in uptown Danku and reached the bus stop just before the bus arrived. Today she went with curled ends that naturally enhanced her short brown hair. A side weave that made her hair go to her right side made her look even better.

Arriving at Jookran High School less than ten minutes later Nari stepped off the bus and took a quick breath. Her day was off to a good start and she wanted to keep it that way.

Yet when she reached the gates of the school she was approached by a girl with a tablet right up in her face. Shorter than her and yet wore a pair of big lens glasses, Chan-mi was the sequential bookworm and was unapologetically so. Even then her outfit was the school uniform of a white blouse and short black and white pleaded skirt she wore small silver chains and spikes more reminiscent of a Goth than a preppy.

Yet she was one of the few people at school that Nari could affectionately call her friend. "Chan-mi, how are you this morning?"

When Nari approached her Chan-mi didn't greet her but instead was murmuring to herself. No doubt she was lost in whatever occult readings she found interesting. Still her lack of a greeting was to be expected of her so Nari went on talking. "Nothing unusual has happened with me today."

The differences between the two teenagers couldn't be more apparent. Chan-mi was a girl with deep interest in the occult and reading while her unofficial best friend Nari was a girl who wanted to be a K-Pop star and was immensely popular. Still they got along better than anyone could have expected.

Not looking up from her tablet yet having the where with all to know avoid tripping on her feet Chan-mi spoke, "Tonight is Chilseok, people have been endlessly talking about it."

Nari gasped slightly, "Really? It's that time of year already?"

Chilseok was essentially to Koreans what Valentine's Day was to the Western countries. A day where people celebrated their love for one another or went to search for their destined ones. A myth was how it started but Nari couldn't remember how that went though she knew for a fact that her friend would know it.

"Usually the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunisolar calendar...though it was changed to the end of August for this year." Chan-mi went on talking until the two girls reached the front doors of the building. "I suppose you're going to go to the festival in the city?"

Nari responded with a gentle shake of her head. "Not this year. My hanbok isn't going to be ready in time and I would rather wear one for the festival."

"You could always go without one like I did last year," said Chan-mi.

"I wouldn't feel right not being in one, I mean its tradition," answered Nari. A hanbok was a style of Korean dress dating back to well before the Joseon Period, and was pretty much custom for people to wear during festivals and holidays. Well, that was an exaggeration. People didn't necessarily have to wear them, but as it had been a traditional form of dress to wear for centuries it was rather questionable to not wear one. Nari could have gone to the festival without one but she would feel out of place, and she would rather not. Yet she wanted to go, and so had to try and find a way to get one on real short notice.

"I know someone who could lend you one."

Chan-mi's words caught Nari by surprise. "Who?"

Looking up from her tablet for the first time in minutes Chan-mi gave her a stare that would make the bravest in their boots. It was that creepy. "You want to go or not?"

Nari nodded once without hesitation.

"Then I will get you one by sundown," she said before turning back to her tablet.

Nari dared not question her further, instead her elation at feeling comfortable enough to go to the festival entered her mind. "Gamsa, Chan-mi."

The smaller girl nodded three times in quick succession. "I'll meet you at the bridge near the Dead City...I have a group meeting at the temple and I will give it to you then."

"You going to the festival too? I wouldn't mind the company..."

"A festival for those seeking love isn't on the top of my priority list...my group has a meeting at the temple that night," said Chan-mi. Her group was a fan club of sorts that studied demons and the occult. She was very into that sort of subject and was like an encyclopedia for all sorts of monsters. Nothing that would be relayed in the real world save for their precious meetings.

Still, Nari didn't mind her choice. "Thought I'd ask."

The two girls made it to their classroom and Chan-mi put her tablet away before they entered the room. "You hope to find your Romeo this year?"

Giggling lightly, Nari went and took her seat which was next to her friend in the back row. "I think he'll find me if I don't actively look for him. Least that's my view on it."

It was a secret shared between the two friends that Nari was in search for a 'Romeo' to call her own. Most of her other friends were in relationships or were searching themselves. The difference in her search however is that she was casual about it. She had heard somewhere that the right guy tends to land into the woman's lap when she least expected it and she was pretty much counting on that to happen to her. And with the Chilseok Festival happening her chances of finding the right man for her were higher than any other time of the year, at least according to how fate seems to favor her.

Maybe she would indeed be lucky enough this time around. Time would only tell.

"What's this about a festival?"

Both girls turned and saw a tall boy about sixteen walk up to their desks. Nari knew who it was and she wasn't happy to see him. "Jae, what do you want?"

Hyoh and his two friends Park and Hyoh, were noted as being nothing but trouble to the student body. Delinquents who caused trouble but more often it was irritable and so remained under the radar. Even they did get caught the teachers did little to curb their activities.

"Why the cold shoulder, Nari?"

"I was planning on going to the Chilseok Festival tomorrow. But I won't have an outfit ready in time for it." That was a lie. Nari knew what kind of person Jae was for a couple months but his attempts at wooing her were less than ideal and she wanted nothing to do with him. Best to lie to him to try and get him off her back. Problem was Nari was a terrible liar and try as she might she couldn't hide it.

Good thing for her that Jae wasn't the brightest guy in a crowd. Her lie went in one ear and out the other. Jae huffed and sat on the edge of her desk, "Too bad, I would have loved to have seen you in a hanbok." Then he whispered to his friends, "Or not at all."

They chuckled.

Nari didn't want to deal with him so she nudged him off her desk. "Please go away."

The three boys left but not because of her. They had the bell be their signal to return to their desks.

During the day the Dead City was mostly quiet and though that was the case on most days Jeung's duty never faltered. There was no reprieve when night began to fall either, and the spirits of the dead moved about like they wished as long as it was within the city limits.

The soul reaper stood on one end of a bridge, one of the three that separated the Dead City from the rest of the island, with his back to the city. The sun was beginning its descent and as soon as the temperature began to cool and the fog began to show he knew that the city would begin to stir.

Spirits in ethereal form wisped by him from most directions, swimming like koi through the air and through the gates to the city. Occasionally one would stop and ask Jeung how he was doing and he would respond in a polite manner before ushering them towards the gates.

"Head into the city now," he said, pointing to the gates with his right arm. The spirits continued on their way and the reaper looked out to the city of Danku. He noticed that it appeared livelier than usual. Lots of lights were on already and people were dressed in period clothing or fanciful dress. Then Jeung remembered why that was the case.

"The Chilseok Festival is coming. But they seem to have started early with the festivities."

That was probably why humans were seen coming into the city as well, most likely to get a chance to see the inside of the sacred place.

Though he knew it was inevitable Jeung couldn't help but feel a bit of disdain towards the humans. "They trample upon sacred ground without an ounce of respect."

He saw one girl in particular walking casually with a few other human girls and boys. Teenagers dressed in casual black garb and wearing symbols usually reserved for the dead or mourning. Goth kids, as one would label them, all heading into the city. One had a large bag that contained clothes of some kind.

They all walked by him without a glance, as expected, and he was alone once again. He wasn't surprised that humans couldn't see him. 'Humans are blind to us.'

He began to turn back towards the city of Danku he saw another human fast approaching the bridge on the other side. A beautiful young girl in her late teens and dressed in a black and white school uniform in a rush across the bridge.

"I hope she wasn't waiting for me long. Damn the roads are a mess!"

She passed him by without seeing him. Were he not a spirit no doubt she would have seen a stranger dressed in black, missing an arm and an eye as well as holding two swords and looked upon him with utter confusion or fear. Her complaining as she passed the reaper about her insignificant life brought no humor to his mind. Human lives were so trivial to Jeung, having watched them live for centuries. So feeble, yet so short. They never knew how to use their time being alive to their fullest and always did what they wanted.

Sighing the reaper turned his attention back to the distant sights of the living city. The Chilseok festival would go on without him. That was fine with him.

Nari had only ever been inside the fabled Dead City once or twice in her life, but she remembered each time because of how creepy the city was. She understood that it was where the people of the island buried their dead over the centuries but nowadays it was a tourist spot. Tonight was no exception as people were inside the city for the Chilseok Festival, though visiting the dead had little to do with it generally speaking.

The base of a large shrine was where Chan-mi told her she'd meet her and though there were countless shrines in the city itself she hoped it was one not far in. The place creeped Nari out to no end.

Luckily she didn't have to go far. The third or fourth shrine in was when Nari finally found her friend and her clique. It consisted of three other boys and one girl along with Chan-mi herself, all dressed in black and white with spike bracelets and collars. They were in the midst of some sort of séance from the looks of it when she approached them. There were countless candles burning softly around them, and intricate shamanistic materials were all around them as well. She didn't speak at first.

'I don't know if I should interrupt them. I mean how would they react if they came up on me when I was in the middle of something?'

Chan-mi's eyes moved to her friend though the rest of her body was still as a statue. "Glad you could make it, Nari." In front of the girl was what looked to be a set of tarot cards laid out in a circular pattern.

Finally finding the courage to speak Nari went and sat down on her knees next to the girl. "Hope you weren't waiting long. All the roads leading to here are packed with festival games and people. Hard to find a way around."

"There are moments that I am glad I don't have a car, and today would give me multiple reasons," said Chan-mi, an unnatural gloating over the fact that Nari had to struggle to drive to the City from Danku when all she did was walk four miles. She handed Nari a plastic bag that had the hanbok she promised her inside. "Here you go."

Looking inside Nari was surprised to see a black and white garment that was pristine clean. That made her raise an eyebrow. "This yours?"

"Nope," answered Chan-mi before flipping cards and moving them around. "I borrowed it from my sister. She's away at college and so I don't think she'd mind you wearing it for a couple days." She flipped some cards and peered up at Nari. "You want your future told? Might be able to help you figure out your chances for the festival."

Though it sounded tempting Nari shook her head. "I think I would like to be surprised."

"You sure? I will let you know that my accuracy is immaculate."

"Not today, thank you."

That was the end of that.

Nari proceeded to put the hanbok on, putting it on over her uniform. What she loved about the hanbok was she could put it on quickly and do so with little help, though she had to ask Chan-mi to help with tying the necessary parts together where she couldn't reach. Once she was done she put a couple black ribbons in her hair to complete the ensemble.

Even Chan-mi was impressed, "You look better than my sister did whenever she wore it."

"Thanks. I better get going. Sure you don't want to come along?"

Shaking her head slightly, Chan-mi's attention was on her cards and barely had enough to speak. Though what finally broke her focus was the cards she had in front of her. "Hey uh I got to let you know..."

"Hm?"

"I know you didn't like to have your future shown in the cards...but I went ahead and did it anyway."

Nari blinked. Her feelings weren't hurt about that, but her response was the same as before. "Long as you don't tell me what you got I will pretend you didn't do it at all. Deal?"

Chan-mi put her hands up as a sign of concession. "Have fun at your festival."

"And you with your...whatever the heck you got in mind."

"Will do."

The center card in the circle of cards before Chan-mi remained face down as Nari left but even as she had said she wouldn't tell her, she never promised to not see what it revealed for her.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she overturned the card.

The result surprised even her.

The card in the center was that of the Lovers.

Leaving the group behind Nari tended to her hair as she left. She wasn't going to be satisfied with it this much she knew. If only I had a mirror, she thought as she approached the bridge that left the Dead City. I'll have to do better tomorrow, since Chan-mi is allowing me to use the hanbok until the festival is over.

As she approached the bridge she finished tying her hair. She was too busy to take note of her surroundings and she bumped into something. She grunted and spun at the contact.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going-"

She looked up at the person she had run into and what she saw confused her. She saw a man in dark clothes and equally dark hair standing in the center of the bridge. Nari saw a man who looked no older than her looking back at her in genuine surprise through one eye and he was missing an arm on top of it. His eye was covered by a dark cloth.

'He looks kind of cute...' She gasped, the thought surprising her. "I'm sorry I wasn't...um, are you okay?"

The man had a look of genuine shock on his young face. "You...speaking to me?"

Nari gave a nervous smile. What was with this man? "Of course. You're the only here with me."

As if to make sure she was telling the truth he looked around and indeed he was alone with her. There was no mistaking that she had meant him.

Crickets chirped in the brush and the water below the bridge gently went on downstream quietly. A sense of peace fell on the scene between them.

"I'm Nari. What's your name?"

"...Jeung."

His nervousness was adorable to the high school girl. She wasn't off put by the fact that he had only one eye and arm. Why she stuck around one could never get a definitive answer to but there she was, talking to a handsome young man she had only just met seconds before without any issue.

She took notice of his outfit, looking similar to pieces of period dress she had seen men wear at times. "You going to the festival too? I was on my way into town myself. We can walk together if you want."

He contemplated a response but he turned to face down river instead. His right eye twitched to try and keep on her. "I cannot go. I am sorry."

Nari got closer to the young man named Jeung. "Oh. Well, I suppose that's alright too." She turned to look down the stream as well, and it was here that Nari noticed the moon in the night sky, surrounded by the stars. Shinning like millions of diamonds in the sky, it was breathtaking to her. The idea of going into town now wasn't high on her priority list. Not with a view like this in front of her. "Beautiful..."

"Yes," said Jeung, slowly.

"Never thought I'd say this but, I wish I had a boy I loved to bring here. I'd enjoy the view more in that case." She laughed, letting a secret desire of hers be heard to a stranger seemed alright with her.

She noticed that after she said that Jeung's expression changed into a more solemn one. "you alright?"

"This would be a good view to share. With a loved one I mean." Jeung lowered his chin.

'Is it just me or is he sad?' Nari didn't like the thought of making someone sad just because of what she said. She wouldn't live with herself if that was the case. she cleared her throat. "Well, I better get going. Nice meeting you, Jeung." She bowed slightly.

Jeung turned and bowed his head. "Miss Nari."

"Please just call me Nari. Maybe we can talk again sometime?"

"I don't know-"

"Hey Nari!"

Turning back towards Danku she saw a couple of fellow female classmates approaching the bridge. Nari excused herself from Jeung. "I'll be right back." She went over to her other friends. "Hi."

The first girl, a brunette taller than Nari asked aloud. "What you doing?"

"I was on my way into town. Then I met him."

The girls looked at her slightly confused. "Met who?"

"Jeung. I ran into him on accident-"

Nari turned around and pointed back at the bridge, but to her surprise Jeung was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Where'd he go? He was just there..."

"Who are you talking about, Nari?"

Nari laughed nervously, "I swear he was there."

"Nari, when we came up the hill we saw you all by yourself on the bridge."

The very upset teen looked back at her friends and then back at the bridge.

No one else saw the young man? How was that possible?

"Come on, if we're gonna be playing around let's do it in town huh? Let's go."

The other two girls turned and went back the way they came. Nari took one last look at the bridge, wondering what had just happened before she too did the same.

As the girl named Nari walked with her friends towards Danku, the still shaken Jeung held his breath. 'How did she…how could she see me?'

The answer to that he didn't know, but he had a feeling he would sometime in the future.

Time would tell at its own pace.


	19. 019: To the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Moon, Earth-08. ARMA magicians are trained to fight the monstrosities meant to destroy all life in the universe. While there are many who take that duty very seriously, there is one who is as good as she is unusual. 16 year old prodigy Heka Cromwell has an extreme talent for magic, and there are those who respect her for her peppy attitude, including her instructors.

Instructor Tyl was getting frustrated as he stalked the halls of the Academy. "Where is she!?"

He was looking for someone and obviously was not having any luck finding his quarry.

Stomping around dressed elegantly in a lavender and indigo uniform that showed his allegiance to the magical school the young man was sweating from his forehead, his exasperation was compounded by his frustration. He had been searching all morning through the massive castle like Academy, going through every room and favored social spots and had come up empty.

He finally stopped at the courtyard fountain to catch his breath as well as fix up his jacket. Always liking to appear prim and proper in front of the other cadets as they walked the halls and around the courtyard.

"You okay there Tyl?"

A man similar in age to the instructor approached him wearing the same uniform though his wasn't as touched up as his own. Short brown hair and green eyes welcomed him, as well as the Saturn symbol on his left breast pocket identifying him as the Guardian of the planet Saturn though he appeared to be no more than an average looking teenager.

"Cepheus, do you know where I can find Heka Cromwell?"

"The newest cadet? Why do you ask?"

Sighing loudly the instructor pushed back his formerly slick black hair. "Because she is late for her class! I told her to be at my office this morning and she hasn't hailed my calls or anyone else's for that matter!"

Cepheus shook his head. He knew of the newest girl to the Academy well enough to know that Tyl was wasting his time looking for her. At least in the academy "Well, I don't know exactly where she is but I can only think of one place she would be if she ain't here."

"Then please let me know so I can verbally pound some sense into that empty head of hers," said Tyl.

To the instructor's chagrin Cepheus didn't verbally answer. Instead his eyes, then his head, turned upwards towards the sky.

Tyl was smart enough to know what that meant and he didn't like it. "You have got to be kidding me..."

The cold reaches of space beyond the warmth of Earth's atmosphere was a bit chilly but Heka didn't mind it as she literally flew around the planet. Protected by a white magical force field that encompassed her entire body, protecting her from the vacuum of space as well as kept her body warm. If she could speak (the force field let her live but at the cost of being unable to form words) she would be hooting and hollering as she somersaulted and did all sorts of acrobatics in the area between the earth and its moon.

'Never in my life would I find myself flying, and in space no less!'

She was having the time of her life, and no matter how much time she spent doing it was always exhilarating to travel through space with her magic. Dressed in the standard female uniform of the ARMA Academy albeit with some modifications such as a much shorter indigo skirt and a lavender blouse, Heka also had pitch black stockings that covered her legs.

That and the view was beyond comprehension. The sight of the earth floating through the cosmos, spinning on its axis and being in complete peace (at least from its orbit) was enough to make anyone want to bring a basket and just relax. Heka herself would do just that, if she had the appropriate amount of time to do so.

A flash of white came from out of the corner of her right eye. Not even thinking the girl summoned a crescent moon tipped staff in her right hand and deflected the shot. Heka turned to where the shot had come from and had been expecting someone to be attacking her. Instead she saw a familiar face approaching. The symbol of Saturn on his breast pocket gave away who it was.

'Cepheus? Wonder what he's doing up here?'

The young man pointed towards the moon and beckoned the girl to follow him. She did, albeit much faster than him, reaching the surface long before he himself touched down on the lunar surface. The place they landed in was the famous Sea of Tranquility, where the Apollo landings took place. If one looked hard enough, the remains of that famous expedition could be found nearby.

Heka waved at her friend and mentor. When she had arrived at the academy he had been the first one to greet her and though she didn't know it she had impressed him on the entrance exams. After that he had requested that she be brought under his wing, and she accepted, eager to learn what she could in space magic combat.

Touching down on the surface, Cepheus utilized the circular device on his left wrist, which looked like a sun dial, and turned it counter clockwise. The result was a blue green bubble forming around them, and the device glowed a warm blue hue.

The moon staff disappeared from her hands as Heka turned her attention to the little device, not immediately noticing the effects. "Pretty-" said Heka, then catching herself. She was speaking normally now. "How did you do that?"

Her voice had a welsh accent, similar to Cepheus'. "New invention, it allows me to create pocket portals where oxygen is available. Anyway, I needed to talk to you Heka."

The girl, sixteen years old with soft short blonde hair in a bob style cut, was pretty to look at to Cepheus but he never commented on it. In ARMA there was a rule to not fraternize with colleagues. The reason to that was twofold but it was a rule heeded by everyone. Most of the time.

Still, Heka was cute and a lot of the boys at the academy talked about her in favorable terms. If she had taken note of such conversation she never showed it, but Cepheus had a feeling she didn't pay it any mind.

She stood with her hand son her hips, "So...what did you need of me?"

"Instructor Tyl was looking for you back home."

"Oh..." she sighed, hoping that it was some other matter. "Let me guess, I'm late for class again." The man nodded. She had been so wrapped up in having fun that time hadn't ever entered her mind. Not like she carried a watch with her anyway.

"He's a bit upset with how he can never find you, and when I told him where you might be he asked me to retrieve you."

Bashfully Heka admitted, "Sorry, but since I learned how to travel in space-I just-I can't get enough of this." She looked up at the earth, the most beautiful orb in the solar system.

"I can't blame you. I was just like you when I first learned how to fly, but as exciting as it is to have fun we have a mission that we need to train for."

The girl rolled her eyes, "I know, but could I possibly get a different instructor? Tyl likes to preach a bit more than teach. I swear he likes to hear his own voice."

Cepheus chuckled, "Not possible. You two are stuck with each other like it or not." The man turned to look at the earth. "As much as it annoys the both of you, we need you both to be ready when earth needs us. All of us."

He meant the ARMA Guardians, those who protected earth and the rest of the solar system from the threats that would do it harm. Heka herself had only ever heard of the foes that they would be facing in whispers, the kind of threat that sent shivers up the spines of the bravest men and women.

Called the Voidsent, monsters of composed entirely of dark matter energy created in the aftermath of the Big Bang, they drained any and all life and light from everything they came across.

Heka had proven herself an adept student and a fast learner from what Cepheus had seen and read. She had already mastered the ability to fly in space after all, something that took most cadets to learn in months she learned in days.

"I know."

Cepheus turned to Heka.

"But can you at least let him understand that he doesn't have to preach the same stuff every day? It'd make class better for me at least."

"What stuff?"

"'As cadets of the Academy you must adhere to our mission: as guardians of the planets in our solar system we defend life against the dark matter monstrosities of the Void. We must never falter! We must never let the darkness in!'"

Heka had done an imitation of who could only be Tyl, and Cepheus had to admit if Tyl had been a woman then she would have nailed the impression. He chuckled nonetheless.

"You'll just have to get used to it. Come on. We better get you back home before he comes up here to get both of us."

"Oh alright." Heka gave in, knowing that as much as she wanted to stay up in orbit, she had to get to class. If the Voidsent ever came for a fight she would rather be able to fight back with some training rather than none at all. "Lead the way, teach."

Together, both teacher and student flew out of the bubble and back towards their home planet.


	20. Nice Suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a futuristic world, a fugitive is on the run from a security force after stealing a piece of experimental technology that has apparently taken him hostage. And it pays him back in extraordinary ways.

The city of Solstice Washington was a place like many others in the Northwest United States in winter time: cold and miserable. Though a sprawling metropolis with enough people to rival New York City, Solstice was its own kind of town with an extremely negative reputation. Crime was a constant, murder and rape were as common as the rats in the city streets, below the flying car highways. Small wonder most people never went out at night even with the curfew in effect.

You'd have to be a true moron, or out of your mind, to even be outside at night.

Too bad Crowe had to be. Not that he had a choice in the matter to begin with. the life of a fugitive never left the luxury of choice when one's life was on the line.

Standing on top of one of the many skyscrapers in the heart of Solstice, the man named Crowe was contemplating his next move. Dressed in a finely tailored white Armani suit and thin rimmed sunglasses that shielded his eyes from the bright lights of the metropolis of the city before him. He seemed more dressed to be a business man or even a goon from an Italian mafia film. Too bad that wasn't the case for him today. He'd rather be anywhere else but here.

'I'd rather be asleep than here,' the African American man thought to himself before fixing the black neck tie he wore. 'This damn suit is far more trouble than I would have thought possible.'

Case in point was when sirens started to echo from below. They were police sirens and they were getting closer to where he was. At every corner of the building what appeared to be flying saucers painted in red and blue with matching lights popped up. Unmanned armored vehicles the size of Volkswagen beetles that had been given a fancy name by the media but to the dregs of Solstice they were known as gnats. Just like the bug they were nicknamed after, they were annoying.

'So they finally got to me,' said Crowe as he combed back his short black hair. He wasn't in any hurry to run. Once the gnats had found him he knew it would be near impossible to outrun them.

Yet in this outfit that was easier than before.

However the flying saucers weren't the only problem. The door that Crowe had used to get to the roof burst open and out came the special weapons and tactics units, as well as other cops of the Solstice Security Force, all armed with heavy assault rifles and armored shields. At least a dozen men in total. All weapons had laser sights that were all aimed right on Crowe's upper body and head.

"Stay where you are! Move and you're dead!"

The warning from the lead officer was heard but Crowe didn't heed it and instead took off for the opposite side of the roof in a dead run. They didn't wait a second before they opened fire on him. Some bullets hit the ground but others found their mark.

Still Crowe managed to keep running, though it wasn't all him.

Just as he had started to run moments before was when his little secret was activated. the suit, which was more than just a fancy looking outfit, had a few surprises no one could see coming. Nano machines embedded in the fabric started to work their functions, combining together to harden against the impact of the dozens of bullets that started to hit Crowe. the result was the slugs ricocheting off the suit like metal and creating sparks from the impact.

Still they fired at him and still Crowe kept on running. Even when he reached the edge he didn't slow down. He leapt from the edge of the concrete and aimed right for the gnat in front of him-and abruptly fell straight down like a heavy weight. A downside to the suit hardening like armor was the added weight adding an easy two hundred pounds to his already muscled body. Crowe fell, watching the world pass him by. Flying cars, buildings, and even people in the building he had just fell from living their lives in their homes passed him by without a qualm.

The suit hardened to its maximum just before he slammed into the concrete a dozen stories below. the near century old asphalt was already cracked greatly before he fell on it and now there was a deep crater where he stood. Had it not been for the suit he would have been either a splat on said concrete or had every bone in his body crushed to powder. The suit, and it alone, saved him from most physical damage.

As he got to his feet the suit decided to loosen itself and its fabric slacked. Now Crowe felt somewhat normal. He didn't have the time to celebrate it though as the saucers were coming down on him and would begin to chase him with the security teams not too far behind him.

He ran across the street, using the old highway bridges for cover and soon enough, with ducking in and out of old buildings the saucers lost sight of him.

Taking a breather in an abandoned shanty house the man checked his suit over for damages but all he saw was a light layer of dirt on his black trousers. 'Now where I go from here...'

Before he could even get answer for himself, one came to him in the form of an old baby blue 1970s Cadillac, a vehicle that hasn't been seen in abundance in decades. It pulled up to him on the driver's side. The window went down, the engine pleasantly purred like a kitten.

It definitely isn't a part of the security force as it pulled up to comfortably greet the fugitive.

Who appeared inside the car made Crowe lower his guard. A beautiful dark skinned woman with unnatural blue eyes along with slick white padded armor with a circle that exposed her chest. Her hair was dark in the shadows in the car.

"Hello Crowe. Need a ride?"

The man sighed, his luck seeming going down further. "Raven? What are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass. Get in."

Questions bombarded Crowe as he went around to the passenger's side door. Seriously, what was his ex-girlfriend doing here?


	21. 021: Welcome to the Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a newly discovered jungle planet, photojournalist and avid explorer Nalu Ostravak is eager to venture out and see what she can find. Little does she know that she is being watched by not one but two sets of eyes...

"And there is another. Got ya!"

Nalu pressed the button on her camera, snapping her multiple shots of the scene before her. A waterfall many stories high surrounded by the lush vegetation of the jungle she had immersed herself in. The clear blue water, the lush green of the plants and trees, as well as the majestic waterfall reminded her of paintings back home. "No wonder the brass back on Terra call this place Edenia, Man's Paradise."

She sat down on the rock, setting her camera to the side and pulled a notebook from her duffle bag. In it was a log of her activities for the past week, marked in days and categorized accordingly. Today was technically Day 10, though she had only been in the jungle for the last seven.

She took out a pen that was in the bun of dark blonde hair atop her head and started to write. "Day 010. Edenia continues to impress me. Came across a very tall waterfall, and a mountain is visible through a thin blanket of fog in the distance, many miles away. Not sure if I want to go out of my way to take a look, though my curiosity pretty much demands that I do. My colleagues back at camp warn me to stay close because they are not sure what predators are lurking in this otherworld forest. I think I'll go as far as this waterfall and turn back."

She finished that last sentence and dawdled for a moment, lightly nibbling on the end of her pen before she continued.

"Ran into a species of four legged creatures similar to deer or antelope. Had small horns and was vegetarian, not a carnivore thank god. Reminds me of the cute little reindeer except these things were the size of house cats. They had feet with hooves and made some sort of squeal when they saw me walking away. A warning sign to their friends perhaps?"

A roar was heard echoing in the distance and causing birds to fly from the tree tops of the jungle. It made Nalu's skin get bumpy with anxiousness. She didn't want to find out what caused that. It was time to go. "I'd better get going..."

She packed up her journal and made her way across the lagoon and back into the jungle. Dressed in hiking gear consisting of khaki shorts and a green camouflage tank top as well as hiking boots, the tough terrain proved nothing of a challenge to her as she made her way through. The jungle was thick and with no clear paths to take she had to traverse to the best of her judgement. Getting caught in low vines and the occasional spider web aside, her decisions usually turned out to be good and safe.

The rocks that led into the lagoon disappeared and were replaced by thick trees that were covered in moss. A thin veil of mist perpetuated the area, giving it a mystical vibe that Nalu did not fail to notice. She smiled. 'I'm glad I came on this adventure.'

She was excited to be in this jungle. How couldn't she? Shy of twenty and an exceptional photojournalist, she was the top pick to be sent with the Terra World Coalition as their chronicler. Writing down data of the places, plants, and animals this otherworld jungle had to offer, her documents would prove invaluable-as well as priceless-to the big wigs and nerds back home. Should she make it back home she could make a boatload of cash on what she found. That and her pictures would be like a gold mine to

Yet it wasn't the cash that made her want to be here. "It's just nice to be away from the city and enjoy the sounds and smell of nature."

All of this exploring was the genuine deal, not the makeshift virtual reality crap Terra had to make up for it. She had wanted it to be real. Thus, she had to bend over backwards to get on this expedition, and it was paying off splendidly. Save for one thing, "Except for this damn humidity, that is." The jungle had proven to be the most humid place she had ever visited in her life. Her clothes and hair would stick to her skin and perspiration would flow all the time, even the air conditioner she had in her tent gave her little comfort. A more personal gripe she had was it seemed that no matter how often she took a shower she never got dry. It'd be funny if it weren't so tragic in her mind. "Take a shower in the morning, four days later still not dry!"

She groaned and continued her trek through the jungle, her elation quelled for the moment.

Her trek back to camp was only a few miles, though she easily lost track of how much ground she actually treaded as she was easily distracted. The leader of her expedition had warned her to not venture too far into the unknown jungle, but as one would assume about Nalu Ostravak she was easily excited about adventuring. He would have been better off putting a ball and chain on her to keep her safe.

The thick trees continued for a long while, the thickness of the canopy blocked a majority of the sun as Nalu tried to keep her footing. Even though it was mid-day (hard to tell, given how this world didn't play by the rules she was used to back on Terra) the canopy was covered so much it was almost too dark to see where she was going. Only the light in the distance kept her going. It was almost creepy in a way.

"Feels like I am in a horror film...lonely girl walking in the forest in near darkness. Weird noises all over, mysterious creatures watching me. All I need is the feeling that I am being watched and I would feel like Laurie Strode." Her humor made her chuckle, nervously one might add, but she kept on walking.

She leapt down from a ledge made by roots of nearby trees and when she landed she saw something shining in what could only be the only light to bypass the canopy. The light was on a small metal cage that was shaking with a trapped animal inside it. It was clawing feebly at the metal bars with its three toed bird-like feet that resembled puffin feet. The creature itself was the size of a soccer ball with white and red fur and a small stubby beak like that of a parakeet and big black eyes. A single red feather stuck up from the top of its rounded head.

Without a moment to evaluate the situation Nalu ran over to the cage, "Oh, you poor thing!"

The creature backed itself into a corner away from her, obviously scared out of its mind.

Nalu tried to be compassionate with it, try to gain its trust. Her voice reflected this. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" She looked at the cage, which was a simple trip and latch design used for trapping small animals. A hunter or poacher's device. Nalu growled lightly as she thought about those people hurting a creature like this for no reason other than for money. "Bastards..." She looked down at the creature. "What did you ever do to them..."

She didn't expect an answer but got one anyway in the form of the cry of "Ah-ah-ack".

Not like a typical bird call, but then again, on an alien planet what was typical?

Turning her attention back to the cage itself, Nalu tried to figure out how to open it. "Shouldn't be too hard...ah! There we go." She found a lever and flipped it, opening the hatch that kept the animal in.

Even though the door to freedom was now open, the animal remained frightened in its corner.

Standing up Nalu backed away from the cage to give it some room. "It's okay. Go on."

Given the breathing room the animal hopped out of the cage without hesitation. Once outside it seemed to realize it was free, crying out as loudly as its little lungs could go. "Ah-AH-ACK!"

While it was free Nalu took the time to capture its elation with her camera, snapping at least two dozen quick pictures before the creature hopped towards her. She took a few pictures of it for posterity, maybe a couple for herself as the it was too cute to not do so.

"Much better," she said, herself feeling better that she had freed a helpless animal from captivity. 'Now about the cage...' Nalu went and decided to do something about it. First she took pictures of it from every angle, turning it on its side to get a few of the manufacturing label on the underside. The Terran Otherworld Exploration Committee? Never heard of that, she thought as she flipped the cage upside down, in order to prevent it from trapping anything again. Only then did Nalu feel satisfied, dusting off her hands as a sign of accomplishment.

The little animal she had freed seem to enjoy what she had done, crying out in jubilation.

"Well, now that's done, I should return to camp," she turned to the animal, which was now about a meter from where she stood. "You take care now, okay? Go find your family."

The creature tilted its head, like it was trying to understand her. "Ah?"

Shaking her head, Nalu knew she had to get a move on. Yet the idea that she'd be leaving this creature here alone didn't sit well with her. Eventually her conscience won her over. "Fine, you can follow me, but once I get back to camp you return home."

The creature hopped once, like it was happy.

As Nalu and the hopper began their trek together through the jungle, the little one following her by hopping along the jungle floor, little did they know that there was a set of eyes watching her in the trees nearby.

Using the shadows and vegetation around him, the silent stalker, with those cat like yellow eyes watched the human intruder with keen interest. His interest hadn't sprung up suddenly, as she had ventured into the jungle alone and seemingly unafraid of the difficulties the place had for its inhabitants. Carefully, he watched from afar, not wanting her to know of his presence unless it needed.

When she vanished in the distance, and he was certain she wouldn't notice him, the hunter leapt from the tree and onto the ground. His feet broke branches under his muscled build as he went to inspect the area. Tattered remnants of clothes covered only his lower half, his upper body bare revealing toned muscles and many scars, hence the name the animals had given him. On his left hip was a sack made of fur that carried important items for him, and most importantly was a head of a spear strapped to his back.

The cage had been overturned by the woman and feathers of the Pompu were all that remained, besides a day old trail of tracks that lead to the northern sector of the jungle where the trees would provide better shelter for them..

In the hunter's mind that was a good sign.

'The birds will have moved on from this area. All that is left of them, that is...'

The hunter knelt down to where the woman had been standing moments before. His ability to track her kicked in, memorizing her foot patterns and even caught a whiff of her scent, which smelled of an exotic flower he had never experienced before. More pressingly she had saved the bird from a torturously slow death, and that gotten his attention. 'I will have to keep an eye on her...'

He had found a flock of Pompu, the little flightless birds that inhabited this area, and they had been systematically slaughtered by unknown means. The one that had been foolish-or fortunate enough, as it were-to get in the cage had been spared their fate. He had stuck around to see if the culprit would return and only then would he pounce and make them pay before releasing the creature. When he saw her at the trap he had assumed that she had been the one to set it up, and had come to gloat over her recent capture.

He hadn't expected her to release the Pompu trapped inside.

Scar ran the tips of his fingers over the ground slowly, his memorizing of her scent, looks, and tracks finished in his mind. He would definitely keep an eye on her, for her compassion was rare in this tropic hell of a paradise.

"Home sweet home."

The return to camp took less than twenty minutes. It would have taken longer had Nalu not put on stones to indicate the path she had taken. Her temporary place of residence was a simple small tent near a clearing covered by a cluster of thick trees. She went over to the spot where her fire usually was and peered up at the sky, where the sun managed to bear down on her with its sweltering rays. While that was unavoidable, Nalu was grateful for one thing.

"Least the rains from the first days I was here are gone."

A monsoon of sorts had prevented her from exploring the jungle the first few days after she had arrived. The amount of rain that had fallen had easily been over a couple gallons.

That had been a week ago, and only now was she truly starting to enjoy herself.

The little creature, the Pompu, pecked the ground near the fire pit finding some low level insects to munch on while Nalu ran through her belongings in her tent.

"Have to change the film in my camera before I go on out again...also might need to let the expeditionary force know I am still kicking out here."

She was talking of course about the water vessel the Darwin, anchored off the shore nearby. A research vessel made out of an old oil tanker ( a fuel largely dated back home), and home to the three hundred plus crew or researchers, explorers, and crew. She was technically part of the group of explorers sent by the Terran government to document the newly discovered planet. At least six others made up the team, with Nalu as the photojournalist. Yet she seemed to be the only one who was enthusiastic about being here to the point she was camping alone on the outskirts of the thicket. Everyone else was more interested in being near the shore, where it was the "safest" place to be on the alien planet.

Though there were a few notable exceptions to that rule.

"Hey Ostravak!"

That voice was loud and scared the little Pompu into going inside Nalu's tent, diving into the safety of her sleeping bag scared out of its little mind.

Nalu smiled, "It's only a friend. "I'm in here, Rose!"

Pulling back the tent's opening, a young woman crawled inside. Wearing similar clothes to Nalu save for hers were white and yellow. A white tank top and yellow khaki shorts. A brunette with her long hair in a high pony tail. "Glad to see you're still alive."

"Nice to see you too Rose," said Nalu. "I suppose your here for my pictures?"

"And to check up on you. It's been three days since we last saw you on the ship. The captain was worried you had been taken away by some carnivore."

Rose was an old friend of Nalu and one of the few on the research team whose brains was matched only by her enthusiasm for adventuring. Rose however had been asked to stay on the ship for the last few days while Nalu had gone ashore. A safety precaution, as it were.

"It would take more than a jungle to get me down," said Nalu before handing Rose an envelope. "The pictures from the last three days. I'll have more ready for tomorrow."

Rose took it from her, and quickly noticed the rummaging under the sleeping bag. "Hey Nalu, I think there's something sleeping in your bed. And it ain't a guy."

Looking over at the bag Nalu pulled it back to reveal the little Pompu bird. It was still afraid. Rose however, was beside herself. "Oh my god! It's so adorable!"

The creature immediately fled, hiding behind Nalu like she would protect it. It was amazing how attached it was to her already.

"Rose, I think you're scaring him."

"Wait...where'd you get him?"

Nalu spent the next few minutes feeding the animal an assortment of crackers to calm it down while she explained what she had found earlier to Rose. To top it off she showed her the pictures of the cage to her as well.

As she checked the digital camera for everything her friend had found, Rose's expression was grim. "That's horrible..."

"Little bird has been following me ever since," said Nalu after tossing the last of her crackers to the bird.

"Think it's family is gone? That would explain why it's been following you."

Nalu didn't want to think about that, even though she held on hope there was little evidence to support it.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't come to the ship often. Otherwise people would be on him like a pack of dogs."

Going through her bag of spare clothes Nalu gently petted the bird. "I'd rather keep him all to myself. Ain't that right, Pompom?"

The animal tilted his head, confused at its new and sudden name.

It caught Rose by surprise as well. "Pompom?"

"He looks like a cheerleader's pompom when he's puffed up."

"Oooohhh," said Rose before noticing something. Not about Pompom but about her friend. "Where you going?"

Nalu had gathered up a second bag and was looking like she was getting ready to leave. "Going back out. Might find Pompom's family while I explore."

"True but you packed a second set of clothes..."

Blinking twice, Nalu didn't think Rose would have noticed her doing that. Still she had to hide her true reason. "It gets muggy out there in the jungle. So I bring an extra set to keep myself comfortable."

Rose didn't believe her and grabbed her bag before she could tie it shut.

Nalu reached for it, but it was pulled away. "Hey!"

The other woman rummaged through the bag and gave her friend a discerning look, "Seriously? A whole new set of clothes? I think you're planning something else. Spit it out."

Lightly blushing Nalu lowered her chin and let the truth out. "I saw a lagoon near a waterfall and...Well..."

"Planning on taking a bath in the water?" said Rose.

The cat was out of the bag. "Yup."

"How careless can you be? Do you have any idea what's in that water?"

"Couldn't be worse than on the ship. The shower stalls don't have curtains! That and unless you missed it, you and me are the only two women on board. I get sick of the guys staring at me all the time!"

"You got a point." Rose couldn't help but agree, as she was in the same boat as Nalu. She honestly couldn't blame her for not using the showers on the ship. She handed her bag back to her. "Good thing we're the only people 'round this area then. I best get back to the ship. Got more paperwork to do before the expedition hits the beach tomorrow."

"Huh? You guys start tomorrow?"

Rose nodded and climbed out of the tent. "The captain wants us to secure squatting rights before some other corporation does. He loses revenue that way or some higher level stuff. I just can't wait to go out there and see what this world has to offer us."

Keeping her thoughts in her mind Nalu wanted to tell her of everything she had seen in the last ten days, but again kept it to herself. 'I think I'll let her get excited when she sees it herself...' The devious thought made her giggle.

Rose didn't catch it. "Take care, Nalu, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early, Rose. Later."

And with that the two women parted ways, and Nalu couldn't wait for the bath. "Let's go, Pompom."

The little bird squawked before following her.

The journey back to the waterfall took a little longer than Nalu had wanted. 'Taking a different path seems like a better, though not the best option when I am out exploring...'

She wasn't one to take the scenic route.

Still, at least this time she wasn't alone in this walk. Pompom had maintained a close proximity to her the whole way, showing little to no interest in venturing out on his own. Looks like she was stuck with the bird for the time being.

Yet she didn't mind the company.

The jungle was getting extremely steamy by the time she made it to her destination. A fog had settled around the lagoon and it made looking in the distance a tough thing to do. Yet the sun was trying to shine through, and it was hot. Still, Nalu went to a rocky area that was closed off, with high rocks around the water. The rocks themselves were huge boulders with smooth surfaces that made it convenient for her to lay out her bags. The pool itself was about hip deep for her, which was perfect with what she had in mind. Pompom found itself a puddle and was in the process of washing off its feathers while Nalu sat down on the rock nearby.

"Seems we have the same idea in mind..." she said as she pulled out her journal and set it to the side. As much as she wanted to write at the moment, she also heard the water calling to her. Clear blue and she could see the bottom of the pool covered in rounded pebbles. Its voice was sweet and extremely hard to ignore.

Standing back up Nalu took a light breath before she started to get undressed.

Though the area the woman had decided to bathe in was technically closed off that was only at ground level. Were one to get a slightly higher elevation say, in the trees high above the jungle floor, then they could get a pretty good look at what was transpiring at the secluded pool.

Scar had been maintaining his distance from her since he first laid eyes on her, and while her saving the Pompu had elevated her from obvious threat to a questionable one he still wanted to make sure before he made his move.

He hadn't expected her to take a bath in the pool, which caused him some confusion when he saw her strip down to nothing without an ounce of hesitance. For the first few moments she stood on the rock interacting with the Pompu with her and stretching her limbs. Her build was lean and yet she had slightly toned muscles fitting for an athlete. Long legs and a toned chest, her bosom wasn't big but no less admirable, that showed off the more feminine qualities she hid in her normal attire.

Scar hadn't seen a woman in a long time, including one as beautiful as this one. Yet he kept those thoughts in the back of his head, for the time being.

'She...might be a threat...' he thought as he slowly crawled along the thick tree limb he had climbed onto.

The woman petted the bird before she walked into the pool. The water only just reached her slender hips and it was cold. He knew this because even though he was many yards away high up in a tree, his feline ears twitched when he heard her reaction to how cold the water was to her skin. She got over it in a hurry and started to wash her body with a soap bar, running her hands over her body intending to rid herself of the dirt and grime she had accumulated in the previous few days.

It was only then that the hunter turned away.

Good thing he did too, otherwise he might not have noticed another person lurking in the bushes nearby. A man in combat fatigues with the stench of gunpowder. It permeated the air and thanks to Scar's enhanced nose he felt like he was right next to him. No doubt the man was a hunter. Not only that but this man had his eyes on the bathing woman, who was unwittingly being watched by him.

Scar moved along the branch before hopping from it to the next tree trying to get a closer look. The fog also helped to mask his movements as well as the hide the hunter's location, not that the woman could have seen either man watching her with two totally different reasons.

Barnes had followed his boss' orders and gone to the waterfall to scout for potential targets, but the last thing he expected to find was a woman all alone and with one of those birds he had killed earlier.

Scar could smell the blood on this man as he watched him in the tree directly above. It was sickening.

Barnes was completely clueless to the hunter lurking above him. If he decided to pounce the young man would have no chance to even react before he was killed. Yet, Scar hesitated.

The timing had to be more...perfect.

Barnes, meanwhile, was too involved watching the nude woman standing in the pool. She was completely oblivious to him, not that she could have seen him from where she stood. She also had her back to him and he was taking in her slender form with lust filled eyes.

"Oh man what a sight..." Barnes chuckled lightly to himself. He then spoke in lewd words that Scar found repulsive and no doubt wouldn't have said in front of anyone.

Then the soldier began to move around quietly. Not just quietly but with the skills of a tracker. The woman was washing her hair now, bending at the waist to dunk her head under the water. It was at this time that Barnes made his move. He reached around the rock he was hiding behind to grab the woman's bag which contained the next set of clothes she intended to wear. By the time she had raised her head above the water again Barnes was already at a safe distance yards away from the pool. She got out of the water and went to lie down on the towel she had placed on the rock. Noticing how warm the sun was she put her arms above her head and gave a relaxed sigh. The cold water had given her skin goosebumps among other obvious indications that she was cold. Her chest for one thing was hardened, her nipples erect as she felt the breeze flow over her form. Her cheeks turned slightly red.

"This feels good..."

The bird that was with her seemed to agree as it too relaxed in a spot next to her, its feathers wet from the water. It found the weather to be immaculate.

So did Barnes as he continued to watch her with labored breathing. It had been months since he had seen a woman and he was not going to take his eyes off her if he had a saying in the matter.

He was excited to say the least, and got more so when she rolled onto her right side with her back to him, giving him a view of her well-toned backside.

"Nice ass..." he said with vivid fantasies of him smacking her bottom going through his mind. Then he turned his attention to the bag of hers he had stolen. He pulled out her journal and set it on the ground. A box of matches, stick of deodorant, a box of pens...nothing of interest. But then he got to the gold, so to speak. He pulled out a green and light blue tank top and khaki shorts before he found what he had been looking for. A black bra and thong, and his disappointment was heard when he discovered she was a Size A. Still, she made up for it in other areas. He stuffed her undergarments into one of the pockets of his vest. "Now..." he said as he began to stand up. He removed his vest and sweat drenched shirt. "Time to introduce myself-grrgh!"

Too bad his libido had blinded him to Scar sneaking up on him. Wrapping one arm around his neck while his free hand covered his mouth to silence him Barnes found himself trapped. Taken by complete surprise Barnes wildly threw his fists and legs to dislodge himself but despite being scrawny Scar's strength was well above that of a normal human and his grip was stronger than iron. Even as the poacher in his grip struggled he was unable to make noise even as he was pulled back into the bushes.

Scar's hands moved around the man's head, one hand on his chin and the other on the back of his skull. Barnes' eyes went wide just before the hunter jerked his neck in two different directions. The action had snapped his vertebrae clean in two. Barnes' arms fell lifelessly to his sides before Scar let his body fall to the jungle floor.

That was for his Pompu friends. Now to deal with the woman...

Nalu sat up from her spot. Though the sound of the waterfall mostly drowned out the noises of the jungle she thought she had heard bushes rustling nearby. "What was that?"

Not that she had anything to fear but she still felt a bit uncomfortable that something could be moving around out there and she didn't know it. The idea hadn't crossed her mind until now. Then again there were the hunters too...

"Better get dressed then-huh?" She had turned to look for her bag and noticed it wasn't in the spot she had left it in. "Where..." She got up and wrapped the towel around her naked body before going around the rocks. "I swear I put it here." She went around the boulder next to where she thought she had placed her stuff.

And there leaning on the rock was her bag, sealed tight and seemingly undisturbed.

"There it is. Thank god, I thought I had misplaced it." Yet the thought next did occur to her on how it got over to a totally different spot.

She picked the bag up and went back to the water's edge to get changed.

Besides the woman being clueless to her bag being put in a different spot altogether, she also failed to notice the dirt around it being smooth and flatten to hide the imprints of the boots of the deceased poacher that had been stalking her for the last hour. Scar had made sure to hide evidence that anyone-other than Nalu, that is-was ever at the lagoon.

He didn't need her to panic, to think that she was being watched, especially by him.

Not until he was sure she could be trusted.

The hunter watched the woman from the tree; the body of Barnes slumped over a thick branch nearby, and continued to Nalu. She had only put on her undergarments before sitting down on the rock. Seems she wanted to relax longer before making her next move. Pompom, the Pompu bird as she named it, kept her company. It seemed to enjoy the occasional petting atop its head the woman gave it. Pompu were a very timid bird and didn't take to trusting any animal easily, so for it to trust a complete stranger over one simple act was unusual but enlightening to Scar.

It was an hour or so later before Nalu decided to leave the lagoon. But she didn't return to her tent back on the edge of the jungle. Instead she dropped off her bag at her tent and went further, heading due east towards the shore that bordered the ocean and where a large water vessel was docked.

The Darwin was a vessel commissioned by the Terran governments to be the exploration vessel to this new planet, and while she had arrived on the ship Nalu had only spent a collective two days in total aboard. She didn't like cramped spaces, preferring to be in the wide open jungle.

A single row boat was on the beach, left there for her to return to the ship.

"Better see what I need to know before the expedition commences tomorrow," said the woman before turning to the jungle. At the tree line she saw Pompom hiding behind a bush. It had never been to the shore before and was rightfully so frightened by the smell and sight of the vast salt water ocean.

"You wait there. I'll be back soon," she said aloud before beginning to push the boat into the water.

Yet as she began to row towards the ship, Nalu couldn't help but feel anxious.

'...I feel like I am being watched...' She took one final look at the jungle, and thought she had noticed the flash of a pair of bright yellow eyes looking out at her. She shrugged it off as part of her imagination before rowing further.


	22. 022: Troubled Teen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recently given the power of a Fairy Queen, Irish teenager Aoife must learn to cope with the power of Titania-as well as the four handsome knights that are now tasked with protecting her, and she doesn't know which is more of a handful!

"I'm late!"

The scream echoed throughout the house, and if Seamus O'Massey hadn't been awake before he certainly would have been now. Then again, his daughter waking up well past her alarm was an almost every day thing and so he had grown to literally expect it.

The pitter-patter of footsteps in the hallway upstairs definitely belonged to his teenage daughter. "Daddy! Why didn't you wake me!?"

The middle aged man continued to read the article on his tablet. He called up to her, "I tried to, Aoife. Three times I called to you, and three times you said you were getting up."

Aoife gave an exasperated reply, "And you believed me!? I'm so dead if I don't—WAHH!"

Finally raising his head up in time to hear a series of thuds avalanching down the stairs, Seamus finally laid eyes on his daughter as she collapsed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs on the hard wood floor. The cry of pain she gave upon the final impact added insult to injury. Having fallen down the stairs the entire way the only major injury that the girl suffered was to her now sore backside which she rubbed with one hand to lessen the sting.

"You okay there, Aoife?"

The girl, seemingly remembering what was going on and or realizing the time, got off the floor in a hurry. She replied sarcastically, "Um, no! I'm not!" Dressed in her dark green school uniform which was rather disheveled due to being thrown on in the last few minutes, Aoife grabbed the lunch box that was on the table next to her father.

Seamus sighed and reminded her, "Don't forget your shoes this time." The day before she had run out of the house in only her knee high white socks because she had yet again woken up late. He had to bring them to her after she got to her first class. He loved his daughter more than anything but she was quite a forgetful person at times. Still he loved her.

Almost forgetting that detail, Aoife went and found her shoes hidden under the kitchen table. "Thanks daddy." She gave him a quick peck kiss on the cheek before making a mad dash to the front door. The fact that she managed to put on her shoes and grab her school bag at the same time before she even reached the door handle was nothing short of talented. "I'll see you later!"

The weather outside was still dreary even though the main part of the rain was now gone there was evidence of more on the way. The sky was a light shade of grey and the world around was covered in a layer of slick dampness. The air was cooler too which Aoife didn't like. Like her personality she preferred things to be bright and cheerful. She preferred days where the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. The type of weather she now found herself in was something more akin to the type of days she would have rather stayed indoors. However, seeing as she had to walk to her school nearly a mile away she had little choice in the matter.

Yet she personally wished she had a car of her own, then she wouldn't have had to worry about what she knew was coming next.

Going up the hill alongside the road she saw a young man standing near the crossing sign. His uniform was ruggedly worn with the shirt not tucked in and his tie not tight with his jacket unbuttoned and his reddish brown hair disheveled.

Aoife knew who it was and while she was annoyed she tried to hide it behind a smile, "Top of the mornin' to you, Tine."

"Well if it isn't the chosen one, finally got out of bed I see," he said sarcastically.

Aoife continued to walk without a word and yet when she passed the taller Tine she retaliated for his remark with a smack to the back of his head.

"OW! Wench, why'd you-"

"I'm gonna be late for school, the last thing I want is for your sarcasm this early in the flippin' morne!" Then she broke out into a run.

"Sheesh what a stuck up girl..." said the red head as he began to make a run after his charge.

The two made it up the hill and across the field in record time. The school that Aoife had to go to was a building on the outskirts of a forest and was a small building when compared to the schools of a bigger city like those of Dublin back home. The school itself could hold up to five hundred people, pretty good size for a countryside establishment.

At the gate that led to the building itself stood two young men, both wearing the uniform of the school similar to Tine. One wore thin rimmed glasses and had combed back light brown hair and dressed in an orderly fashion. The other one didn't wear the tie and wore black gloves on his hands. His hair was also black and short, his eyes a clear almost otherworldly blue.

Aoife approached them first with Tine close behind. Her expression was one of relief in comparison to how she had felt when she had seen Tine earlier. "Hello Gail, and you too Quilo."

A smile formed on Gail's mouth as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Hello Aoife, I see you tried to outrun Tine again."

Tine was out of breath and was thus unable to come up with a retort.

"I was just about to succeed when we got here…" said Aoife while adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Well, shall we then?"

The three boys led her into the building and immediately became a bright light to the entire student body. Why wouldn't she? Being flanked by three really hot guys did that, especially when she had nothing to show for being popular with them in the first place. The guys never took notice of her and many still didn't. The female half was a different matter. Gail, Quilo, and Tine were three mysterious boys who appeared literally out of nowhere and from there they became so popular that the girls were talking about them all the time. The only downside to their desire was that the guys had no interest in any of them save for Aoife, and she in turn earned the ire of the other girls. She had to learn to grin and bear it for the most part.

Too bad there was another problem to add to her list, and he made himself known as soon as Aoife had entered the room.

A tall short raven haired young man stood at the front of the classroom, dressed in a black suit and tie looking all professional as an instructor even though he didn't look a day over twenty. Ishka Maynard was his name, and he was another reason reason that Aoife was so envied at her school. "Alright everyone take your seats and we'll begin the first lesson of the day."

Though he had spoken to the entire class Aoife could feel his eyes on her.

She simply took her seat and prayed that the day would go by quickly enough, wanting to sleep the day away. Knowing that would be impossible, she laid her head on the table and closed her eyes.

Lunchtime came quickly enough and it was then that Aoife could at least hide from the prying eyes of everyone else.

Except for the four guys that tended to follow her wherever she went.

Sitting on a wooden bench behind the school Aoife tried to enjoy her lunch but the glare of Time was bugging her. He was looking at her like a hawk looking at a mouse.

Her appetite was not quite there because of that. "What's with you?"

"Still trying to figure it out," was his reply and he sat back against the bench.

"What?"

"What makes you so special."

"Huh?"

"I think he means why you were chosen. His pea brain can't understand it," said Quilo as he sat next to Aoife on her right. He had already eaten his lunch and was just relaxing. He was the quiet one of the four and for that Aoife tolerated him more than Tine.

"What'd you say, jerk face?!" Tine's brash and more explosive personality was easily irritated, and Quilo's no nonsense hold nothing back attitude was like mixing fire and ice when they were at odds.

Sitting between them was the worst possible place for Aoife and yet there she was, with nothing to distract her from their arguing.

"Sod off, both of you."

Both of them turned to see Gail approaching with a bag that had his lunch in it. Aoife had a headache, so Gail's attempt at stopping the others from going off on each other was appreciated on her part.

"It doesn't matter what rhyme or reason she was chosen. Our job remains the same. We look out for her, and support her until that job is done."

'The voice of reason, as always. Thanks Gail,' thought Aoife and she sighed. 'Not to mention the one who always reminds me of my new obligation…' Her expression saddened, but no one noticed it. She stood up, "I'm going to the rest room. Please don't hurt each other in the meantime."

With that she jogged away, turning the corner and going in the opposite direction of the restrooms. She had to get away from being reminded of her new role in life.

Stopping in a corner of the school yard, away from prying eyes and the noise, Aoife felt at peace.

The school garden, which was in a poor state at this time of year due to lack of maintenance, it was in this place that Aoife's life changed forever. For better or worse.

It was a little over a week ago that she was tending to this garden and met something extraordinary. Being punished for being late (once again) Aoife had to clean the garden from top to bottom, and while it had been cool outside the place had been warm enough to where she could take her time. Cleaning out the plant pots was a tedious process and so she didn't know how long she had been doing it when she saw a small flickering green light fall into one of the pots nearby. She didn't know what it was but when she saw what was inside she nearly freaked out.

A person was inside it! A woman with butterfly wings to be exact!

Aoife couldn't decide what to do, either to go get someone or try to help this little creature. Help her because she looked like she had been beaten up by something terrible. Carefully she picked the little lady up into her hands, and it was after asking if it was okay (an action out of complete nowhere) that the teenager heard a voice, but it wasn't like she heard it with her ears, but right into her mind.

'A kind hearted soul I have found…one who loves the world…protect it with the power of the Fey…'

Aoife asked aloud what the voice meant, but instead she was answered with what could be thought of as a prophetic response.

'The Demon King will come…unless Titania is there…to stop him…'

All of a sudden the little creature dissolved into a cloud of sparkling green mist, and that had been followed by warmth that had enveloped Aoife.

'I bequeath the power of Titania to you, young one…stop the Demon King…save your world…'

With that the voice had gone silent, vanishing into magical dust, never to be heard again.

Lost in the memory of that day Aoife finally noticed that she had gone to the exact spot where she had met that creature, later she discovered that it had been a fairy (she didn't quite believe it at first) that she had tried to help. Added to it were the arrival of the four young men that constantly hung around her, claiming to the guardians of the Fey Queen, and in the space of a week Aoife's life had been turned completely upside down.

A fallen fairy queen, a Demon King, and four men claiming to be fairies. To top it off I'm supposed to be the one to defeat this king? I would have thought I was dreaming had I not seen it for myself, she thought.

"Returning to where Her Majesty rejoined the planet I see," said a familiar voice. Aoife turned around and saw that it was indeed Ishka.

"I'm sorry you lost your queen."

"We blame the Demon King for her demise, but not all of us morn her passing."

That surprised, as well as slightly infuriated Aoife. "Is that what you handle the death of one of your own?" asked Aoife, curious as to what his answer would be.

"In a way. As death is part of a cycle, we Fey are born from the planet and when our light expires we return to it. Then we are reborn from the planet. Such as it should be, and always will be."

Spoken like a true intellectual.

Looking down at her empty hands, flashes of the dying queen remained etched in Aoife's mind. She didn't even know her name and yet she felt a deep sense of sadness within her.

"But...why did she choose me to be the successor to her power? I mean I was the last one to be with her when she died and yet there should be someone better-"

"She did, and she chose you," replied Ishka. He then added, "For what reason, only our dearly departed Queen knows. But what her reason is, I trust she did so with careful thought."

"Doesn't make me feel any better."

"It's not supposed to. Receiving the queen's power is not something to shrug about, and being a human on top of it means you had something she saw that convinced her to bestow her power to you instead of one of her own kind."

Even being reminded of what had got her into this situation in the first place didn't totally ease Aoife's mind. The poor girl still had a lot to learn about her power, as well as the world she never expected to be more than a fairy tale. She wasn't a wee girl anymore, and fairies weren't supposed to exist!

Yet they did! And Aoife now had the power of their queen!

Then there was the fact that she had the four guards of the recently deceased queen as her personal bodyguards. That was the biggest headache of all.

'But if I can figure it all out, one step at a time, maybe…'

Her thoughts were split when she was reminded that Ishka was standing in front of her. He cleared his throat.

"Still, while I am certain we will make your life more…interesting, be that good or bad, please know we are here to help you through this."

Shrugging her shoulders, Aoife hoped that she could count on them as much as he said, because she felt that her life was going to be far more eventful than ever now.

The Fey worked in mysterious ways after all, and she would know how with time.


	23. 023: Vampire Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dhampir Princess Sera is invited to a vampire party hosted by a handsome noble, but soon finds herself in way over her head, but she has one advantage that could keep her afloat: her sole guardian, the vampire knight Viktor.

It was winter in Berlin, and a thin layer of snow was on the ground. School was finally over for the day and Sera Reinhardt wanted to go home.

The January day was cold and she was thankful to have worn her thermal stockings as it was windy as well as cold when she had gone outside. She also wore fashionable brown winter boots. The uniform for school had always been mandatory but there were times that she felt it would have been better had she worn a longer skirt. The uniform consisted of a jacket colored midnight blue and a short slate grey skirt, stylish and to her personal liking.

"Hey, Sera!"

Turning Sera saw her two closest friends, Anne and Eve, approach them while trying to put their winter coats on. Eve was the taller more athletic one with short brown hair and a few freckles under her eyes. She was a proponent of sports, something Sera could not relate to but appreciated her friendship none the less. "Think you could leave without us? That's not nice."

Sera shrugged her shoulders. 'Guess I wanted to get the hell out of here too much...' "Sorry about that. I have some prior commitments to attend to back home."

"Being the Kaiser's daughter must be a pain sometimes. I mean you hardly have any free time as it is with school." Anne Schmidt, short and yet full of energy, was the polar opposite of Eve. More of an intellectual than an athlete Anne was definitely the smartest person that Sera knew.

Sera zipped up the white fur winter coat she wore. Made of the finest fur in Europe, such a coat cost more than the average person made in half a year. She smiled, "Prinzessin Sera Erika Reinhardt, forever busy to the wonderful people of Germany." Her words were empty of sarcasm and full of truth.

The three friends walked down the front stairs that led to the street in front of the school. Traffic in Berlin was quiet and slow which benefitted the princess in her desire to get home as fast as possible.

"So what's so important that you want to get home so fast?" asked Eve as they came to a stop on the sidewalk.

"Technically my day doesn't end with the setting of the sun. I still have to meet with diplomats and the like...you know, all the boring politics I cannot talk about."

"Still, it's a shame ever since your last birthday we haven't been able to hang out like we used to," said Eve.

A black car drove up and stopped at the sidewalk near Sera. A young man lowered the window and stuck his head out, "Hello princess. Your escort has arrived."

Sera smiled at the driver, "Thanks Joel."

One of the doors opened, and a young man came out of the car. Tall, dressed in dark grey, and with a handsome face, the man walked around the car and greeted the princess. "Afternoon, Your Highness."

Sera's posture stiffened slightly at his presence. "Hello Viktor."

Her bodyguard nodded slowly. His posture was still as stone, not bothered by the cold despite being in a dark grey leather overcoat.

While Sera and her guard locked eyes, the eyes of her two friends were on Viktor, and Sera had hoped this sort of situation would not happen. Every time Viktor came to pick her up she had hoped that her friends would not be there to see him. They were mesmerized by the man's looks, and Sera felt embarrassed by it while Viktor seemed to not mind. Though to be honest it wasn't something that he could control. Being a vampire had its downs, and such magnetism was ordinary for them. Yet Viktor couldn't simply explain that to everyone. His being a vampire was a secret that existed only between him and the princess herself.

The only way she could save herself from further embarrassment was to push the whole thing along. "I'd like to go home please."

Waiting for such a request Viktor opened her door and waited.

After bidding her friends' farewell Sera got in the car and the door was closed behind her. It wasn't until Viktor had gotten into the car and they were well away from the school before Sera spoke. "Thank you for picking me up."

Viktor nodded, though he added something that surprised the girl. "Sorry for making you uncomfortable back there."

"Well...I should be used to it by now," said the princess. "Being a vampire must be annoying for you as well, I mean the girls love you just by looking at you."

In the darkness of the car Viktor's hazel eyes started to shift color to a glowing crimson hue. The red eyes of a child of the night. He chuckled, "You get used to it."

"I just wish I could control it, least on my part," Sera sat back in her seat. Ever since her last birthday her life had been turned upside down. Finding out that your mother was a vampire before she died and that you're half vampire did that to you. And that was just for starters. Then Viktor came into her life. That proved to be the biggest headache of them all in most circles.

Sera sighed, all this drama on top of being the Kaiser's daughter got to her. "I just want to curl up into a ball and sleep the world away..."

Though she didn't notice it Viktor expression towards her was one of pity. Sadly, he couldn't help her with the road her life forced her to follow. He could only hold her hand—and protect her whenever she needed him.

Yet her day was about to get more complicated. He pulled out a white letter from his inside coat pocket. "A letter addressed specifically to you came in the mail today."

He handed it to her, already opened with the seal broken, and she took it without a second thought. The contents of the letter was short and eloquently written.

"Greetings Princesszin Sera, you have been invited to my master's welcome home party from his travels abroad tonight. My master, Leon Scheltz, would like to meet you and would be honored to have your presence in his home. The address to his manor is written down below should you decide to accept."

There was no name at the bottom.

"Leon Scheltz..." the name didn't register with the princess. In fact she had never heard of this man before.

"Scheltz is the name of one of the older vampire families in Germany." Viktor answered for her.

"So I am being invited to a vampire party?"

"Yes, and a refusal will not do you any good, Princess."

Already at work with her cellphone Sera started to dial the number to her personal boutique. "Such short notice. I hope Matilda hasn't gone home for the night..." Even as her preparations went through her mind Sera asked aloud. "You think there will be trouble?"

His silence was enough to answer her and she put her head back against the seat. The sarcasm overflowing this time, "...a perfect capper to a perfect day..."

"The day will end...," said the knight next to her, watching as the sun in the winter sky began to grow steadily darker. His mind focused on what was to come. 'But the night is just getting started.'

Exactly three hours passed before Sera felt comfortable in her preparations for the night to come. She was grateful that her personal fashion dresser hadn't closed for the night, though she seemed perplexed that her services were called for on such short notice. The Princess had to come up with a convincing lie to cover her true reason. A date with a hot bachelor did the trick, though Matilda requested not to hear the details and went about her work. That was a perfect deal in Sera's view.

A few hours later and Sera was ready to go. Dressed in a mermaid skirt white dress made of the finest lace she could get at the time, Sera was beyond lovely and her dhampir beauty only enhanced it. Well, she modified the skirt to be much shorter so no one would step on it. Her black hair, stylized and smooth as silk went over in a tail over her left shoulder down her front. The top covered most of her chest but her back was bare, and that made her a little uneasy. So much skin being revealed didn't sit well with her which is why she wore long white gloves that reached her elbows. She also wore small diamond earrings and, the cherry on the top, also wore her mother's silver cross choker around her neck.

Matilda, an older lady who had been in the Kaiser's employ for over thirty years, was exhausted but proud of her work. "You are a vision, Your Highness."

A little blush worked its way into Sera's cheeks hidden mostly by the small amount of make up on her face. "Danke."

The old woman went over to her front desk, the store having been closed once the princess had arrived to avoid any onlookers or press. She handed the princess her purse before moving on. "Please bring the dress back when you're done with it."

"Will do. I will also pay for it when I return." Sera looked inside her purse, which contained only a few items and her cellphone in case of emergencies. She hoped she didn't get a call during a vampire party but there was always the chance.

"So, what is this bachelor like? He must be quite the stud for you to get all dressed up like a princess for a first date."

Sera paused for a moment. She had thought her last excuse would have been enough to cover her plans, but a backup one had never crossed her mind. "Well, he's the usual type I like. Tall, dark, handsome...that sort of thing." That had more truth than she intended to tell but it was too late to take it back.

"Most of the time men like that are dangerous as well, and in more ways than one," said the woman as she began to close up shop. "Though I have found that they tend to have a tender side hidden under that rugged exterior."

Sera smiled lightly.

The woman chuckled unknowingly having hit a soft spot on her wealthy customer. "Seems your ride is here, Your Highness."

The princess looked to the door and saw that her limousine had arrived, and Viktor could be seen standing outside the vehicle, though he hadn't noticed her through the store window.

Taking a few more moments of small talk with Matilda before she left Sera stepped outside and the white high heels she wore crunched into the light layer of snow on the concrete. Viktor saw her and between the time it took Sera to leave the store to reach the car he admired her.

Sera could tell he was enamored and she felt more embarrassed than had she been in front of the paparazzi. "How do I look? Tell me the truth."

The knight looked her up and down quickly, "Beautiful."

She looked away. She had asked for the truth had prepared for it yet his response was smooth enough to make her uneasy. "Let's go."

The drive to the Scheltz mansion was going to be quick so the princess didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare herself. She was ready physically, looking the best she could on such short notice but mentally speaking she wasn't close. She had butterflies in her stomach the size of eagles.

Thankfully she wasn't going in alone.

Viktor was sitting next to Sera and unlike her he was relaxed.

To break the silence the princess opted to speak. "So, what can I expect from this vampire party?"

He turned his head slightly, looking away from the window. "In the human world you're a princess and are treated like one. In this dark sphere you'll be treated no differently than any other noble. You're new to this world. They'll most likely take advantage of you and try to make themselves look better at your expense."

A power game, huh, Sera thought. She had some experience in that field, though being only one of a few surviving royals in Europe meant little in the face of beings that had been alive far longer than her. "I don't tend to be treaded on. Least without a struggle."

Viktor admired her strength in the face of what she would soon be facing. Even then he offered her a word of caution. "Just be mindful of what fights you take up. These nobles have strong ties with each other and will honor those ties should the need arise."

"I'll be careful," she replied. The car started to slow down before coming to a stop. That was when she noticed something that didn't make her feel all the more at ease. "You're bringing your sword?"

Viktor's weapon of choice was a long sword that had a four foot red and black blade as well as an intricate black dragon handle design. He was rarely seen without it, and it was the same weapon he had used to save Sera the first time—as well as numerous times since. "Of course."

"Wouldn't a gun be a preferred arm to have? Less conspicuous and better in modern situations."

Playfully rolling his eyes, the knight shook his head. "Let's just say I am old fashioned. Besides, you might be surprised on how often firearms aren't used by vampires."

"Sounds like they are a bit backwards then…"

"No, just proud of their ways. A stubborn breed when it comes to change."

Sera didn't know why but she found the fact that he had said that about his own race rather humorous. The princess heard Joel get out of the driver's seat. She had one more question to ask and it was the most important one yet. "What should I do if I get into trouble?"

She expected her knight to be quiet on the matter, or be stern and serious with a look to match. To her surprise he did neither. Instead he gave her an assuring smile, all the while holding onto the handle of his sword with his right hand. "I'll protect you."

She had no reason to doubt him and her heart eased.

She returned the smile with her own, "I'm counting on you."

Her door opened and Joel offered her his hand. Stepping outside and into the brisk winter air Sera looked up and felt dwarfed by the manor before her. Reminding her of the Reichstag in appearance the building was mostly dark save for the dim lights coming from the large glass windows. Music was heard coming from inside. Though her anxiety had been lifted somewhat Sera still felt nervous. She put on a white fur jacket to cover herself, with an absent thought of it protecting her from what was to come. That was a futile thought.

Viktor came to stand by her side. "We'll be awhile Joel."

The driver nodded once, "I'll be a phone call away should you need me. Enjoy yourself, Your Highness." He tipped his hat to her and she returned with a nod before he got back in the car and drove away.

'I certainly hope I do...' Taking a big breath Sera looked up at the building, "Well, let's see where this goes..."

She took her first step, heading once into a world she was woefully unprepared for.

Through the entrance Sera seemed to take a step back in time.

Besides the moon light from above the large room was lit only by candles, even the chandelier was made of them. The room was a ball room of sorts, with a large space in the center where people were dressed elegantly and formally dancing. Soft yet foreboding music played by a small orchestra at the far end. Tables lined the sides of the room where people were talking and gossiping.

All that stopped when the doors behind the princess closed behind her. The latching of the doors seemed to break the rhythm of the room and everyone, including the orchestra, stopped to gawk at the newest arrival. Multiple pairs of red eyes focused on her, pale expressionless faces soon narrowed at her like she was an insult to their presence. Sera felt like she was going to an execution. Her own.

She hesitated at the stop of the stairs; her hands had a tight grip on the skirts of her dress. It didn't help that she was the only one wearing white, and so she stood out like a red rose in lily bouquet. 'Why are they staring at me like that?'

Her hesitation wasn't helped by her heart beating unusually fast.

The servant who had opened the door for her spoke up behind her, making Sera jump as she had not known he was there. "Ladies and gentlemen, Princesszin Sera Erika Reinhardt, daughter of Lady Ruina Reinhardt and human Kaiser of Germany, has arrived."

The crowd remained silent.

Sera nervously nodded once. She was used to being stared at, she was a princess after all, but before it was with a lively crowd who knew her. These...people, if one were to call them that, were technically meeting her for the first time and thus had nothing to offer her in terms of respect.

From her left Viktor got in front of her and offered her his hand. His eyes told her to keep her wits about her and her head held high. She took his hand without hesitation. She needed him now more than ever before, thus she would take all he could give her.

Across the floor Viktor led her, always by her side as he held her hand with an assuring grip. The crowd parted for them but only enough to give them passage. Some of the nobles didn't give her a single glance.

"Ah, yes, the princess has arrived!"

The lively words of a young man wearing a black tuxedo approached Sera from the front. Unlike with Sera the people got out of his way. His smile, wide and full of excitement, showed a pair of sharp canine fangs.

"I am grateful that you took up my invitation. I apologize for such short notice. Oh but where are my manners, I am Leon Louis Ramon Scheltz, the lord of this fine manor."

He offered his hand and Sera gave hers in return, a sign of respect. "Sera Erika Reinhardt, Princess of Germany."

Leon bent over slightly and lightly pressed his lips on the black of her gloved hand. She felt nothing but the cold of his breath and it made her skin tingle.

"I must say, I have seen you on the news many times, to see you in person is quite a sight to behold."

She pulled her hand back rather quickly, "Thank you." She managed to keep her composure and held her head high, "As for the sudden invitation, it's alright. I made the time."

"I am grateful, being in the human world most of your time I was afraid you wouldn't be able to come here."

What Leon said echoed through the room but the word 'human' seemed to echo the loudest and it irked the majority of the crowd in the most unpleasant way.

Sera noted it, but Leon didn't seem to care. "And this man must be your servant."

Speaking to Viktor he nodded once, and politely corrected the man. "Her knight, Lord Leon. Name's Viktor."

Leon blinked in surprise. "Really? A knight in this day and age? Can't say I wasn't expecting you to have one princess." He had further ignored the knight, which didn't bother Viktor in the slightest. He had expected it.

"As the story goes, a princess must have her knight, right?" Feeling the conversation trailing off into more personal territory Sera ended it abruptly.

"Well, be that as it may, dinner is about to be served. Please join me in the dining hall." He offered her his hand. The princess took a quick questioning glance at Viktor but didn't get a hint of what she should do. Accept it or not? She took the former, just to avoid making a fool of herself further.

The lord and princess walked hand in hand together through the crowd, all of whom gave their lord respectful looks and appreciative smiles. The same could not be said for Sera where she was eyed with envy at best and disgust at worst. Viktor followed close behind, and Sera couldn't help but find it humorous when the other nobles elected to get out of the knight's way.

The dining hall was beginning to fill up with the nobles from outside, but there were many empty chairs yet to be called for. Leon took a seat at the end of the table made specifically for him. Sera was given the chair to his right, a place of honor.

Viktor pulled her chair out and back in after she sat down before he backed up to the wall lined with tall glass windows. Outside Sera could see a lavish garden with statues of goddesses and a large fountain.

"Lovely, isn't it?"

Leon's words made the princess turn around, "Yes."

"I designed the garden myself. Human designs interest me for their color and vivid expressions."

Wanting to strike up the conversation with her own spin Sera spoke, "Then I think you'd love the gardens at the palace. They'd blow your mind away."

Leon smiled in her attempt to impress him. "I am sure they would."

As soon as everyone was seated at the table Leon stood up with a wine glass in his hand. It was filled with red liquid. "Now that we are all here, I propose a toast. To our guests who have come far and wide to see me return home safely. To the nobles who made my trip possible, for without their support my estate would have been...well, not as pleasant as when I left it, shall I say." He chuckled at that last part. A few nobles did the same. He continued, "But I also want to thank someone for taking time out of her schedule to visit me. Sera, princess of Germany." He motioned to her.

All eyes turned to the princess before she stood up; her glass was filled with water. "And I thank you for inviting me, Lord Leon."

All nobles despite their expressions being less than pleased, all raised their glasses as well to honor the toast before taking a drink.

Sera and Leon sat back down, and the lord's excitement skyrocketed, "Finally, now that we have custom out of the way, we can eat! Enjoy."

Within seconds the calm returned to the room and most of the nobles silently went about their meals. Everything was red meat, which wasn't as much of a shock to Sera. She had thought that vampires were mostly carnivorous and preferred meats and blood. That much she expected. However, there was little meat on the table to begin with. Most of what was on the table was pitchers of red liquid and Sera had a feeling she knew what that was. She was also the only one to drink water and that had gone down during the toast.

"So, Lord Leon. Where did you run off to this time?" said an elderly looking man on Leon's left.

"I went to visit the family in Barcelona, before heading to Romania and Lithuania before heading back to Berlin. Quite the trip I must say."

One woman, dressed in a sleek black dress that was nearly see-through raised a hand to her deep red lips. "Romania? I heard there was another wave of Chiroptera attacks there."

Leon took a bite out of a piece of meat with a golden fork. "They had been corralled long before I arrived. I wasn't worried."

"Excuse me but, what's a Chiroptera?"

The woman's attention turned to the princess and she had nothing short of a shocked expression. She looked like she had been insulted.

Sera on the other hand had asked a genuine question and thus felt no guilt in asking, though she now felt like she had made a mistake instead.

The woman took it in stride, "I say, the daughter of an esteemed noble must not be as educated as I had thought to ask such a question."

Her arrogance had not been hidden in the slightest, and Sera noticed a great deal of distain in her voice as well. The fact that she had refused to answer added salt to the situation.

Lowering her chin slightly and feeling her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment Sera started to apologize, "I just-"

"Chiroptera are a breed of vampire that's more animal than human. They live all over Europe but prefer the Carpathian Mountains which is also their ancestral homeland."

All eyes turned to the knight standing behind the princess, coming to her rescue by informing her at the expense of the nobles.

"They tend to attack at night often in the forests, attacking both humans and vampires indiscriminately." He finished with a nod towards the princess before taking a step back to his post.

Sera gratefully nodded back and her spirit was lifted a bit.

The woman seemed insulted but kept her composure. "Oh? A knight knows more than the princess he is charged with protecting? Ha! Waste of an education."

Sera turned to the woman, holding back any urge to return any smart talk. "I appreciate his assistance. I have only been involved with this since last October."

Leon spoke up, "Ah yes, your birthday party. I missed it but I heard you were attacked by some unruly vampires."

Sera tapped the table with her fingers nervously, "Yes, it was quite a shock..."

"But luckily you had your knight to protect you," said Leon with a nod to the man in question. A small form of praise that Viktor returned with a nod of his own.

The woman sighed loudly to regain the attention of the room. "Be that as it may, the daughter of the late Lady Ruina should have been able to handle the situation on her own, if she were a true noble, that is."

Sera lowered her eyes to the table. She had been powerless in that initial attack on her birthday. In fact, had Viktor not awakened and rescued her she would no doubt be dead now. That powerlessness was something she despised on a personal level. 'I may be a princess but I sure as hell don't like to be a damsel in distress...' She said nothing aloud, however.

The noble woman had achieved her victory, and now made her own lap to show off. "You must better prepare yourself if you wish to earn any respect at this table." The other nobles around the table either smiled or chuckled as sera was put in her place. The woman certainly didn't hide her joy in humiliating the young woman. "Now then, Lord Leon, could I trouble you for a drink?"

Leon's expression was plain, he hadn't found what she had done to Sera amusing in the slightest. "Let us finish our meal and afterward I will take a walk through the gardens. I missed it on my travels."

His cold response to the woman's offer was like a slap in the face, yet she didn't respond with words. When she set her glass on the table she had been gentle but were one to look close enough they would have found cracks in the glass at the base.

The rest of the meal had gone on without any incident. Leon did ask Sera various questions about her human life. Such as her school and what she did during the day time, but it never delved into anything really personal which the princess was grateful for. She didn't want to divulge any details unless she trusted him completely, and that was a long ways off.

Eventually the conversations between the nobles went beyond their meal and most got up to continue conversing elsewhere. This led to Leon making an announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you will follow me I would like to show off the newest addition to my estate: the garden."

No one said a word and instead got up from their chairs without a second thought.

Leon offered Sera his hand, and she took it with slight hesitation. Viktor watched intently as the lord and his princess went out the door behind the table first and he had to squeeze his way past the nobles that followed them.

The garden itself was much larger than sera expected it to be. The size of a football field lined with statues and three water fountains in each of the three sections. Walls of vines separated the three sections, and various flowers lined the fountains. A spectacle by any means was made better by the light of the moon in the sky, despite the wintery conditions the garden remained green.

Sera and Leon went down the stairs to the first fountain which had a statue of a woman and a man. At the base was a gold plate that read "Psylocke and Cupid", the Greek mythological lovers.

The extravagance of the garden had left the princess temporarily at a loss for words. Yet she remained humble. "Okay, I take back what I said, my garden pales in comparison to this."

Leon smiled, "Thank you."

A servant approached the two. "Lord Leon, I beg pardon but there is an urgent phone call for you inside."

"Ah, must be father, I will be in shortly." The man turned to Sera, "Excuse me, Your Highness. I should be back shortly."

Sera nodded once before Leon took his first steps back towards the manor. Just after he had gone out of sight she released a long exhale. "Good god I can finally relax.."

She had forced herself to breathe slowly and quietly the whole time she had been in his presence. Otherwise her nervousness would have been a dead giveaway for how uncomfortable she had been this whole time.

Sitting down on the edge of the fountain the princess felt her body go limp. Being surrounded by beings that were much older, not to mention far more powerful than her and forcing herself to maintain her royal air had been exhausting for her. Normally when faced with delegates and rulers of other countries her father was the one to address them and she was pretty much a flower on the wall. 'Though to be fair that was with humans. These were vampires. A very big difference.'

"You alright?"

The princess failed to notice Viktor approach her. He had kept his distance though he kept her in his sights the whole time she had been with Leon.

She raised her head to her knight. Though she hadn't been at the party for more than a couple hours she was already tired and wanted to go home. "I'll be fine, just...I feel out of my element here."

She expected Viktor to say nothing, or at the least tell her to get over it like anyone else probably would have at this point.

Instead he encouraged her. "You're doing fine for your first vampire party."

"I grade myself a C-plus at best," Sera joked. It was a half-hearted one.

"B-minus, princess," the knight chuckled.

The sound of the water freely flowing out of the fountain was soothing to her mind and the princess turned to see her reflection in the pool. She saw a teenage princess mentally beaten and staring in the face of just giving up and going home.

"When can I leave?"

Viktor crossed his arms over his chest, though Sera didn't know since she couldn't see his reflection in the water. "Depends on what you want out of this."

She looked at him with a questioning look. "What does that mean?"

Making sure no one else was close enough to eavesdrop on them Viktor sat down next to the princess. "You leave now and you won't earn an iota of respect from the nobles. They will see you as weak and not worthy of being one of them."

Sera scoffed, "They constantly compare me to my mother. The mother I never knew. On top of that they know I am not fully a vampire by birth. How can I possibly win against that form of thinking?"

"By doing so in your own way. Nobles are, for the most part, snobbish and arrogant. They think themselves better than even kings of countries. Valuing their beliefs and power to rule. So they see you, a dhampir and a princess with noble blood in her veins, and they don't want you to be here. Best way to establish yourself is to do so in grand fashion. Make a statement that tells them who you are and why you should be respected."

Sighing lightly Sera didn't know how to respond to that. Her idea of power came from the fact that she wore the title of princess in the human realm. That title was just that, it had no power behind it. Though it gave her immediate respect from those inside her country and some from outside it as well. She never had to exert herself before for people to take her seriously. She liked it that way if she were to be honest. Still, if she wanted to be respected and not ridiculed she had to take measures to ensure she got it. Yet how that would happen she hadn't the foggiest idea.

"How immediate should I be in my endeavor?"

Her knight gave her a knowing smile. She was catching on. "You'll know when to make your move. Vampire politics is very much like any other. You make the right move when the need arises."

"I just hope it comes when I at least feel ready for it," said the princess before standing back up. "Thanks for the talk Viktor. I feel a bit better now."

Viktor nodded once before standing up. "Still want to leave?"

The princess felt her courage returning and it energized her. "No. I think I'll stick around a bit longer. See if I can leave a mark on this party before I do."

The nobles remained in the garden even as a light amount of snow began to fall. Being the only one susceptible to the cold sera had asked Viktor to retrieve her coat from Joel and thus she remained near the fountain and awaited his return. To keep herself somewhat warm the princess rubbed her upper arms to try and keep them from going numb. For this she somewhat envied the other nobles. 'One of the few perks of being a vampire I guess, being immune to the cold.'

Leon had not yet returned from his phone call but Sera wasn't worried about that. She may have been his guest of honor but she wasn't going to wait on him hand and foot, especially in this environment. She felt safer with Viktor than with Leon, only because she had known the knight for longer.

None of the other nobles seemed to pay her any mind and left her alone.

But that didn't last long as a familiar but unpleasant woman approached her, stepping through the cold with a swag that showed off her arrogance.

"Did your knight leave you as well?"

'Her again...' Feeling irked the princess looked up at the noblewoman, "None of your business."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "So rude..." She feigned at having her feelings hurt but carried on. "First Lord Leon and now your sworn protector. You really do drive the men away."

Her irritation level started to rise, including her patience with this rude woman, Sera stood up. Remembering what Viktor had told her earlier she went and stood her ground. "And why is it that you continue to single me out?"

"Ah, finally getting to the meat of the issue," the woman licked her lips, showing the tips of her vampire fangs to the princess. A sign of intimidation and it sort of worked. "Well, first off, I am Rira Shadreign, noble of Southern Romania and I will indulge you. I want to think that you've noticed the praise the other nobles have made about your mother?"

Sera turned to see the nobles speaking in groups at various points in the garden. She had heard, and acknowledged them. "Of course, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Everything, for the most part. Queen Ruina was above all of us. Elegant, beautiful, smart, and a great ruler. Powerful... A noble whose dark powers cast a shadow over darkness itself. She ruled the nobility with the utmost respect-" Her praise of the late Queen seemed to dwell into zealousness and almost worship, but soon turned sour. "...only to fall in love with a petty human king, 'retire' to a life of no bloodshed among humans, and die giving birth to a filthy half-breed. Were it not for you being the daughter of Lady Ruina, you wouldn't have lived to see your first sunrise. You or your pathetic human father-"

Right as she finished her sentence she turned her eyes to see Sera's right hand hit her square across the face.

SLAP!

"Gah!" Rira stumbled back a step, Sera's slap had more force in it than she would have thought possible for a dhampir. Her arrogance had also blinded her to the possibility that Sera wasn't going to take insulting her father or herself lightly. Rira held her left hand to her face, her pale complexion would not show any sign of harm but her pride had been butchered in front of all the nobles who had seen the ordeal go down.

"You bitch!"

"Insult me or my family again and I will do much worse," said the princess, standing triumphantly over the downed noblewoman and meaning every word of her insult. Though she didn't have much of a chance at what she had threatened she still intended to back her words up.

Rira got up in a huff clearly embarrassed and extremely upset. She pointed at the princess and screamed, "Omoar-o!"

Sera knew it was Romanian, but she almost failed notice the tip of the spear coming right at her chest, aiming straight for her heart.

Luckily for her something caught it before it could pierce her skin.

A wall of dark grey and leather got between her and the spear, and though she couldn't see it from her perspective, Viktor had caught the spear tip with just his left hand. His entire left arm had been encased in crude black armor and he was unhurt. Catching the spear sent a shockwave through the garden, blowing back all the snow in the immediate vicinity.

Sera gasped, fully realizing her life had been saved yet again by her sole protector. "Viktor!"

"Can't leave you alone for more than a moment can I?" The knight joked before turning to the new threat.

Rira stood behind the man in silver armor holding the spear, he bore the symbol of the Shadreign house on his chest. "Move boy! Or else I'll kill you too!"

Viktor wasn't fazed by her threat. "Rather unbecoming of a noblewoman to send her personal guard to kill a defenseless girl, wouldn't you think?" He pushed the spear away with ease. The enemy knight still remained in an attack position while Viktor remained where he was. Though he stood before an armed soldier and he had yet to draw his own weapon, the knight of the princess seemed unconcerned with the threat before him.

While Viktor was cool of the situation Rira wasn't on the other hand. She was red hot furious.

"Why you-"

"That's enough!"

The shout from a third voice outside of the four stopped everything. Leon stood atop the stairs, having finally finished his call and was in the process of returning to the party. "There will not be a duel here, if that is what you are planning, Rira."

Salvaging any of the mature nobility she could Rira stood up straight and faced the lord of the manor. "Lord Leon! I was just-"

"I hate to admonish a woman such as you in front of everyone here but Rira you leave me little choice in the matter. Upset me again and I will be forced to evict you from the premises. Understand?"

"...Yes, Lord Leon..." Rira lowered her head in shame, and Sera couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied. Even more so than when she had slapped the woman in the face.

That feeling went away when Leon addressed her, "As for you Princess Sera, what were you thinking? Striking a noblewoman so brazenly, and threatening her on top of it?"

Sera didn't back down, and told the truth. "I could only take so much insult, Lord Leon, before I retaliated."

"So do you apologize?"

Sera's silence was answer enough. She would not.

"And so I will make her apologize," said Rira, her bravado returning after her admonishment. "No one strikes me and gets away with it! Cristian!"

The spear knight lowered his spear to a battle ready stance and in clear violation of Leon's order and acting more on impulse than reason, swiftly thrust his weapon at Viktor.

Anticipating such a response Viktor used his sword to swipe away the attack. When he had drawn his weapon no one knew and as such he had caught the spear knight as well as Rira completely by surprise. Sera knew his sword was close but still couldn't figure out how he got it out in time. Cristian was forced back by the next heavy blow, using his spear handle to guard it and sparks flew from the collision.

"ENOUGH I SAID!"

Cristian lowered his spear, but Viktor didn't lower his guard. He was playing defense for Sera and was ready to defend her again should the need arise.

The spear wielding guardian lowered himself to a knee as his lady spoke, "Fine. Since I cannot be allowed to kill this wench I think I will take my leave." The noblewoman glared at the princess. "Next time I see you, you will bleed girl."

She turned in a huff and walked away. Cristian spoke not a word before he too turned to join his mistress.

Only when they were out of sight did sera let out a sigh of relief. 'That was intense.'

Viktor put his sword in its scabbard and went over to the shaking princess. "You alright?"

Sera nodded once, her hands shaking slightly. "Yeah, thanks."

The knight smiled lightly. He knew she wasn't used to all the action that the vampire world would bring but sadly it would get worse from here. 'Best better get used to it, Sera.'

The rest of the nobles looked at the girl with disdain, though there were a few who seemed to express something akin to respect. Not many people stood up to Rira, especially to her face, and the fact that Sera had done so without backing down or apologizing about it brought a snicker or two from the higher crowd.

Leon was one of the few who thought Rira had it coming.

Still after all that had happened, Sera personally felt like it was now the best time to leave.

"I think it's time I go home," she uttered under her breath.

Her knight was the only one who caught it and he didn't object. The tension in the air was suffocating and he could feel it. "Very well, Highness. I'll call for Joel."

It took Joel less than five minutes to bring the car around to the front drive. By that time Sera had made it to the front door. No one, save for Viktor, escorted her. She wasn't sure anyone wanted to be near her, let alone talk to her. Because of that she wasn't in a talkative mood either. Thus when Joel greeted her and opened her door, she only gave him a smile before she even reached the vehicle.

"Princess."

Before she got into the car Sera heard her name and turned to see Leon scurrying to meet her. He was also alone.

The urge to speak returned to Sera and she brought her a small smile. "Lord Leon."

"Sorry your evening was less than stellar."

"…I wasn't expecting it to be anything other than enlightening, if I am to be honest." She had seen but a glimpse of the world she was unknowingly born into, and that was enough for one night.

"Still, I appreciate you coming, and hope to see you again."

He offered his hand to Sera and the princess gave hers to him. She felt the coldness of his skin through her glove. She expected him to merely shake her hand, but she was proven wrong when he lightly kissed it instead. Sera pulled her hand back, slowly but with a sense of urgency. It wasn't often she was treated like a true princess and thus her reaction.

"Good night, Lord Leon."

She got into the car and after she pulled her skirt into the car Viktor shut the door behind her. Yet that wasn't the end of it as the knight didn't even take one step before Leon spoke to him.

"Sir Viktor."

The knight didn't speak but his red eyes laid on the noble, waiting for a response.

Leon nodded in respect. He knew of how valuable Viktor was to the princess. The way she leaned on him for support in this new world and looked to him for advice. The other nobles thought of it as weak but Leon understood that she needed it. "You're good for her."

The knight nodded once in acknowledgement. He secretly appreciated the noble's words. In fact he almost smiled. "Good night, Lord Leon."

He got in the car and it took off slowly through the snowy night. Leon waved until the car was out of sight.

Inside the limousine Sera finally let her body relax. She had been tense almost the entire time at the party and it was so obvious of being at the end of her rope that Viktor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Feel better?"

Sera nodded once. "Very much." She then began to undo the intricate knots of her hair. Her plans for the rest of the night were made of nothing except for going straight to bed, so she was getting a head start on doing just that.

Viktor smiled lightly, "I think he was impressed with you."

"Better him than the rest of those snobs."

Now a full grin went on the knight's face. "That is the best case scenario for you. Impress the host and the others won't have a reason to complain."

Taking off the gloves she took a look at her right hand. It was still slightly red from slapping Rira, not to mention the stinging sensation had lingered. 'I'll have to add ice when I get home.'

"Does hitting a vampire always feel like hitting concrete?"

"Heh, more like steel."

She cradled her hand in her lap. "Still, I think I messed up royally back there."

"You did what you felt was right."

"But I don't think I got respect for it."

"That's not what Leon thought."

"Huh?"

"It's not often that a noble strikes another for any reason. At least not one that showed dignity like you did."

Sera had struck Rira after she had insulted her family, which was a no go to the princess, and she didn't put up with it. Added that the noblewoman had been singling her out all night didn't help her psyche. She had let her temper get the better of her, no matter how justified it was in hindsight. Still, it felt damn good to let it out on someone who deserved it.

Yet even if the night ended on a bit of a disaster, Sera couldn't help but get excited about the next social gathering. "Well, maybe next time I can leave a better mark."

Viktor put his unarmored hand on Sera's. A gesture of reassurance and a bit of affection. "I think you already did."

Sera gently squeezed his fingers, letting out the last bit of frustration she held in her body.

There would definitely be a next time.


	24. 024: Trio of Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starlight City, at Rosetta Academy. A trio of heroes has been making their mark in the city as of late, and little does everyone know, they happen to be right under their noses.

In Maryland across the bay from the nation's capital was the bustling metropolis of Starlight City. Deep within the city, surrounded by its many skyscraper sized buildings and modern day architecture was a very prestigious school.

Rosetta Academy was alive and well even before seven in the morning and the amount of students in the building made Dante feel miserable. He groaned as he stopped by his locker and placed his fist on the metal face. The heat had gotten to him already and he wasn't in the best mood because of it. Not only that but he was tired, especially after last night's events...

'Best let it go for now. I'll talk to the others once the day is over.'

The school had a nasty mint smell, and nobody around was liking it but it was usual at the place. Leave it to the headmaster to force fresheners with mint in them to liven up the place. The nameplate on his locker was on crooked but he didn't mind. not that he could fix it even if he were allowed to, apparently it was against rules to have students fix up their own lockers. "I'd still need a screwdriver though..."

Inside the metal box were school books as well as a calendar with the picture of a hockey team on it stuck to the back. Otherwise it was a cluttered mess, and he was lucky nothing fell out every time he opened the door. A small mirror was on the bottom of the locker, reflecting the shaggy short dark hair of the teen that used it.

A few girls passed behind Dante, one accidentally brushing against his shoulder.

"Sorry!"

"It's okay." The former athlete smiled lightly, the first time he had been able to do so and it was noticeable forced. It faded after the girls left.

He took off his red school issued jacket and put it inside the locker. 'Damn I'm so tired-ow!' He felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and just under his uniform it was heavily bandaged. A souvenir from last night. A monster that shot electricity had been the cause of that.

He grabbed the science book and was about to close the door to his locker when something caught his ear.

"Hey did you hear? They were in Starlight City last night!"

On the other side of his locker Dante noticed a trio of students talking. Curious he pretended to be busy in his own locker and listened in on them. They sounded excited about something.

"About what?"

"They were on the news last night!"

"Who?"

"Who do you think? The Trinity!"

"Those three so called heroes?"

"Yeah! That fire guy was pretty awesome!"

Now Dante's attention was solely on the conversation. 'They're gonna talk about me huh? Let's have a gander...'

"The way he was flying around taking those people out of that burning building was beyond cool. The flames didn't hurt him at all!"

"Yeah! I think he's the best!"

Dante smirked, being quite proud of himself for what happened last night. That 'flying flame guy' that the news had been loving like no other had been him. Known as Inferno, he had worn slim battle armor fashioned after a phoenix. No surprise he had the power to fly and use fire like a weapon. He was also immune to it and so he was able to do a lot of dangerous things that normal people couldn't. Like last night when he went into a fully ablaze apartment building and helped over a dozen people escape with their lives. Then after the deed was done he flew off, as he usually did. He didn't like the spotlight, just a thank you was all he asked for. Though finding that people admired him did fill him with pride.

He continued to listen in. The level of excitement grew in the group.

"Hell, that guy would be so cool to meet. I wonder who he is under that armor?"

Now Dante had a major grin on his face. If only those teens knew Inferno was right next to them...

"Then he went and fought with his friends against that shock monster later...what was his name again?"

"Shock Master?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!"

Upon hearing that monster's name Dante felt a twinge of pain go through his left shoulder. No one else knew it but that monster had been the reason the apartment complex had been set ablaze. Also nobody knew that the fight he and his two friends had with the creature had gone on for multiple city blocks.

Hence why he was so beat up.

The morning bell rang, signaling the beginning of the start of the school day. That caused the trio to disperse and Dante knew his time was up. The first class wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes, but he knew that if he slowed down now he wouldn't survive the day. He was so tired.

Still, he knew that more than likely he and his friends would be back out in the city doing what they had decided to do together for the last two months.

'We are needed. The people need us, and we will help them.'

He closed the door to his locker and went to his first class.

When lunch time came most of the students stayed inside to avoid the heat, though a few remained in the cafeteria. Then there were some who stayed in a classroom to eat as well.

"Trinity of Heroes Save the Day from Shock Master!"

That was what the main article on the American News Network website read on the front page. With it was a rather questionable picture of a man who looked like a he was made of batteries who shot electricity out of his body fighting against another man in red and white armor with fire wings, as well as a streak of lightning hitting him from behind. An impressive shot, no doubt.

'That was the moment he went down. The photographer got a lucky shot there...'

From his seat in the back of the classroom, an Asian American student with thick black rimmed glasses read the article from his personal laptop with a degree of interest. Henry Wong eyed the picture and scanned it for detail, but he was ultimately disappointed with it. Not with the quality. That was unavoidable. He was more upset that he was nothing but a blur in it.

'If only I had slowed down I might have made the picture.'

Still he shrugged his shoulders. What was done was done. Their foe still had been beaten with no loss of life, though property damage was no doubt in the hundreds of thousands of dollars but he could live with that. It wasn't like they were going to send him and his partners the bill, now would they?

Scrolling down to read the article, skipping over details such as the amount of damage and criticism to how it was handled, Henry finally found a picture that caught his eye. His eyes widened as he saw a picture of himself punching Shock Master in the face.

Yet, though he knew it was him, Henry had no doubt people wouldn't believe him if he told them. What was in the picture wasn't a young teenager but a white bipedal rabbit about four and a half feet tall (five if you counted the upright ears), its fists covered in big red boxing gloves wearing a black and yellow striped shirt and loose jeans. There was also a backpack on his back.

Under the picture was a small description that read: "Jade Rabbit delivers a Tyson like punch to Shock Master."

Tyson? More like Holyfield, thought the teen with a chuckle. Another thing he liked was the press was using the name he had given himself. Jade Rabbit. It was quite a unique name and he was damn proud to have come up with it.

Though he had used boxing gloves to protect himself from Shock Master's static electric body, it wasn't any less painful for him when he had the force of a small bomb behind it. Inferno was the powerhouse between the two, this Henry knew, but when the rabbit threw a punch it was still no laughing matter. His fist was still hurting after he changed back to his human form.

Yet he knew that alone he wouldn't have been able to take Shock Master down without his friends.

Having friends was the best thing in the world to Henry. Together they could do, well, anything really.

He closed the article page, noticing he had been sent an email with a familiar address.

Henry smiled and opened it.

Just like he thought, it was from Dante.

Henry read the email to himself, which was short, that basically told him what he expected.

'See you and Clerissa after school at my dorm room. We need to plan our next move.'

Got it leader, he thought without an ounce of sarcasm. Dante was the leader of the trio, which was what was agreed upon between them. Henry knew he wasn't cut out for the role, he'd rather be the comic relief than anything else. Except for maybe the love interest to the only girl in the group but he viewed Clerissa as a close friend and he also knew she had no interest in him romantically. Added to the fact that he wasn't an athlete and he knew he had struck out. It didn't bother him.

Now that he knew what was going on Henry knew what he had to do. 'Better let Clerissa know.' He took out his phone and sent a quick text message to her.

Rosetta Academy had a very large pool adjacent to the gymnasium. That was what set it apart from other schools on the east coast. That and unlike other places it was open to the campus from dawn to dusk.

So, even after gym class was over, Clerissa Hart decided to stay at the pool for a while longer. she enjoyed the water, especially on a hot day like this. The feeling of the cold water on her body was relaxing, and the fact that her muscles were sore from last night's escapade made her appreciate the water even more.

Getting up from the water and sitting on the edge of the pool, Clerissa ringed out the water from her long dirty blonde hair. The water cascaded down her ample chest confined in a cardinal red one piece swimsuit, issued by the school for those on its swim team.

"Clerissa!"

The blonde turned and saw her friend approaching. A girl the same age as her but with shorter black hair and green eyes. "Thought you'd be here."

Clerissa stood up and put her arms over her chest. "Where else would I be on a hot day like this, Marianne?"

"I know. It's near evening and yet it's still miserable out." She sighed, "Anyway I was just coming to ask if you wanted to join me. I'm heading into the city to go shopping. Since you don't have practice right now I thought you'd like to go."

Clerissa thought for a moment. The idea sounded nice, especially when it was her best friend who invited her. She and Marianne had bene friends since they had been kids and were near inseparable. Only Clerissa's dedication to the swim club got in the way.

That and her newest activity.

"Gimme a second."

Clerissa went on over to her bag on the nearby bleacher and checked her phone. No missed calls, but there was one text message. The text message didn't concern her right away, it was the lack of calls. 'Dad didn't call me again. He must have had to work.'

Typical of her dad, being in the military and all, he more than likely got called in. Or he volunteered to do so like he more than often did.

"Clerissa?"

Her thoughts returned to her friend, and Clerissa took a look at the text message that she had on her phone. It was from Henry, and the details of the message were clear cut and to the point.

'Come to his dorm. Planning needed.'

She sighed. "I'm sorry Marianne, but it looks like I can't go tonight."

"Dad forcing you to go home?"

The lie worked, and it made Clerissa's heart sink. "Pretty much."

"That's fine. Just don't make him force you to do push-ups or something like that, okay? You get enough exercise with your laps already."

Clerissa smiled and threw her hair back over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. My dad whipped me into shape years ago. I can handle anything he sends my way." She started to gather her things, which included her school uniform in the plastic sack. Gym had been her last class and so she wasn't even gonna bother with changing.

"You gonna change at home?"

Clerissa nodded. "That's the plan." She decided to wear her uniform over her swimsuit to save time. That would help her get to the meeting that much quicker. Not that her two partners had seen her in anything less revealing.

That was constant in her other form. Being scantily clad in nothing but pink scales shaped in the form of a two piece bikini, a fish tail, and being able to swim over a hundred miles an hour. Thus it was fitting that the press had called her Syrena, even though Clerissa couldn't sing worth a damn. She was more like a mermaid than a siren to be honest. But Jade liked the name and it stuck.

It would have been cooler if Marianne knew the truth but that wasn't the case.

'She can't know I am doing this for her. Never.'

Clearing her throat Clerissa started to dry herself off with her towel. "I'll text you before I go to bed, 'kay?"

Marianna nodded, "I'll be up late. Got to study for the exams coming in a week."

"Maybe we could study over video chat together? That's be cool."

The other girl smiled lightly. "Sure, if neither of us fall asleep in the middle of it. Haha."

Bidding each other farewell Clerissa started to put her white dress shirt and navy blue skirt on. Once her friend was out of sight she mentally kicked herself in the leg. She hated lying to Marianne like that, but it was necessary. If she found out what Clerissa had been up to at night...

Shaking her head, Clerissa hoped to put such thoughts aside. 'Now is not the time to worry about others. We have a job to do.'

She gathered up her things and went in the direction of the men's dorm.


	25. 025: Alexius & Iliana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day in the arena in Rome, gladiator and demi-god Alexius goes to relax outside the city, and has a chance encounter with a feisty Amazon...

The cold of the night cooled the landscape of Greece, and in a valley not too far from where the Observers had arrived was a river that was located far from the nearby city of Athens. It was a river that had no real name, and such no one knew what to call it. Yet for a certain young man it was the best place for him to cool off after a long day in the arena.

For the third time in the last couple minutes Alexius washed his face of the dirt and grime he had gathered in his day long combat in the arena. That and some of the blood, both his own and those of his enemies off as well. His feet were in the river, allowing the water to wash over his sore muscles. His muscled body appreciated the comfort, and it was hard not to after his busy day.

'Five fighters in a gauntlet match...won them all,' he thought as he ran his hands through his short raven black hair. The choker he wore around his neck felt tight as he took big breaths of air, the golden lock in the center clinked with each movement. His arms had markings and tattoos going from his wrists to the base of his neck, one for each fight he had one and lost over the last ten years.

Standing up in the ankle deep water Alexius stretched out his limbs, his joints popping in his elbows and knees. After earning only enough for a meal that day he knew that sleep was going to come soon enough. His options for tonight were severely limited. 'I might have to try and sleep in those horse stables again, not that I would want to but it would be better to sleep on soft hay than hard ground.' He had slept in a farmhouse for the last couple of nights until the owner caught him and forced him out. Despite being a gladiator who had won much gold in his fights, Alexius only ever had enough to pay for his meals. Comforts such as a bath and bed were much more expensive and thus took a back seat to a meal. That was why he was washing himself in a river and sleeping in farmhouses and barns.

Life wasn't perfect but he was going to manage. The gods could be against him and he would still endure. Such as it was his entire life.

He went back to the spot where he had been sitting and found his items. Consisting of a pair of cestus (fist gauntlets that hardened on impact with hard material) which were his preferred weapons to fight with and his eye patch. Having lost his right eye in his very first fight when he was a young man he had come to see it as a badge of honor as he had won that fight, and it ultimately set him on the road he had lived his whole life. He put the patch on and reached for his gauntlets when he heard something.

He turned slightly to look up the river. The trees prevented him from seeing what was going on but he knew he heard the giggling of a woman, then more than one. Lowering his arms only one thought entered the fighter's mind.

'Must be nymphs bathing up river.'

Nymphs were daughters of the gods who wandered the mortal realm, enjoying the more opulent life aside mortals. Immortal and forever young and beautiful, they were the desire of many men. They were also the doom of many more. Lust and desire more often than not clouded the minds of mortals who wanted them for themselves, and when their fathers found out judgement was passed on them in horrific ways. Alexius had been fortunate to not be involved with them, not that he was worried about the retribution he would suffer, but because he had no interest in them. 'I better grab my things and be off before they find me.' The last thing he wanted was for them to think he was spying on them.

He grabbed his cestus and got onto the grass, turning the opposite direction intending to head back towards Athens. Maybe there was a cheap room he could bribe for-

SNAP!

His head turned sharply back up river as multiple shrieks were heard. Water splashed and the hooting and hollering of men.

'A bandit raiding party must have stumbled across them...' thought Alexius and he stopped. The screaming of the nymphs grew louder.

Now he faced a dilemma. Should he help them or not? He didn't even know how many men were there and the nymphs might be better off without him should they call for assistance. Centaurs and satyrs were known to be in the area. Surely they would come running to assist?

'And if they don't...' His thought was caught off by a scream. The women were crying for help, and while he had no desire to get the ire of the nymphs his mind wondered.

While his mind told him to not get involved, his feet had already made up his mind for him and he started to go up river. He didn't fight against it either as he started to put his cestus on his hands. His night wasn't over yet.

Sure enough when he made it past some trees and bushes he saw four men dressed in drab outfits and leather armed with short swords.

All of them were big men, no doubt former soldiers turned into thieves for either money or because of the other benefits they could get themselves. Such as what they were doing now.

What Alexius found when he made his presence known was not exactly what he expected to find. There were no nymphs around, having fled in the commotion by either turning into small cherry trees or dissolving into the river. Instead he saw one of the four men holding onto a woman by the shoulders, a near naked woman who held a shear white cloth to her chest to cover herself. It did her little good.

Yet what Alexius noticed right away was that the woman, with her fair skin and long blonde hair, was not a nymph. She was a mortal.

That was the piece of the puzzle he needed to know. These men hadn't been after the nymphs, they were after this woman. Instead of going after the daughters of gods and being awarded with divine retribution they were after a mortal woman. Such an act, while vile, was perfectly legal in the eyes of the gods. They would do nothing in the face of such debauchery.

'Guess they weren't as stupid as I initially thought.'

"Who might you be?" asked one of the men nearest Alexius. He smelled of vile whiskey and it was repugnant.

Alexius kept his arms low. Though armed with cestus he waited to make a move. He didn't think this could be resolved peacefully, yet there was a bit of hope in that he could. He had just finished cleaning up and he didn't want to bath in blood so soon after. "A passerby who heard unpleasant noises..."

His eyes turned to the woman who was sitting on her knees. Her hair was curled and long, not to mention soaked, which was rather unnatural but she was no doubt a beautiful woman. He couldn't blame the men for wanting to steal her away based on her looks alone. Yet when he looked at her face, which was when Alexius felt a tinge of familiarity come from her. He had seen her before, and yet he couldn't quite put it down where.

The lead thug grabbed a hold of the woman's hair and pulled her up. She responded by grabbing at his hand with one of her own, while the other struggled to keep herself covered. Her dignity didn't take a backseat to the pain she was feeling in her scalp. "Unhand me, you brute!"

The man ignored her pleas, turning his attention to Alexius. "You know her?"

As if right on que, seeing the anger in the woman's eyes, the intensity of her anger finally caused him to remember who she was. And he chuckled. "Yes I know her, and you might want to let her go if you value your lives."

His obvious threat, meant to cause them to think twice about what they were doing, proved futile. The men all laughed.

"Why in the name of Hades would I want to do that? This woman will fetch a great price at the slavery market."

Alexius put a hand on his hip. He was willing to give them another chance to do as he suggested but then he wouldn't do anything more than that. "Because the woman you're dealing with is no ordinary woman. She just happens to be a-"

Right at the moment the water in the stream shot up and knocked down one of the men after hitting him square in the face.

This momentarily distracted everyone.

So much so that the woman drove the point of her elbow into the groin of the man holding her. He shrieked in pain and let the woman go. That wasn't all she did, however, as she drove her fist upward and nailed the man in an uppercut that made him fly at least a foot off the ground. Then she moved away, to move behind Alexius. not out of the need for him to protect her but a place where she could readjust her cloth.

Alexius allowed her to. He knew she didn't need his protection. "So, we'll talk after this?"

"Yes," was all he got from her before she came back around him, the cloth she wore covered her chest to the best the shear fabric could do, stretched to its limit it failed to hide the curves of her voluptuous chest as well as her hips. The water meanwhile was still fighting off the goons. Using the form of a tidal wave it washed the men around while they tried to fight it off with their fists and swords.

Alexius had a clue as to what was the cause. 'Must be Undine's doing. That water spirit truly hates men with oversized libido...' Undine was a deity that lived in water and while not a goddess she had a nasty temper that caused even Poseidon to tremble at.

Now though, the water deity had left an opening that Alexius could exploit. Fighting was not on the top of his list right now. He wanted to get away. "Follow me."

The woman didn't object and followed the man deeper into the forest to lose the slavers.

After running for all they were worth, the two came to a stop at a waterfall, one that Alexius knew by frequent visits.

"There's a cave behind the waterfall. We'll hide there for a while."

There was a small room behind the water that was big enough to hold them both as well as remnants of a fire had been left behind. Probably by raiders, maybe even the slavers they had just met had been here. If that was the case then hiding here might not have been the best choice, yet it was a risk Alexius felt it was alright to take. The water wall was a foot thick and soaked both of them when they passed through it.

After going past the wall of water and getting a quick breather, Alexius turned to the woman. "Now, I know-"

His sentence was caught off as he saw the woman raise her arm to his face and he grabbed it with his left hand before she could reach his skin.

She stared up at him, her brilliant green eyes narrowed at his action. She remained silent.

"Iliana, why strike me after I helped you?"

"Reflex."

Her answer was typical of an Amazon. Attack first and explain later, especially when dealing with men.

"To attack your rescuer after he helped you? You Amazons confuse the hell out of me sometimes."

While her right hand was caught, her left was free to touch Alexius' chest. She pushed him back against the wall of the cave, the pressure would have made it hard for him to breath. Were he a normal human that is.

"You men are all the same. Women are damsels to be rescued and you wish to have an explanation as to why an amazon reacts to such an act with disdain. Deplorable."

"Says the woman warrior who got caught off guard by slavers." Alexius wasn't putting up with her attitude.

"What were you doing out here to begin with? I thought you lived in the city?"

"I wanted fresh air and time to clear my head. I have the right to go where ever I please."

"And I wanted a bath to myself after my fight in the arena today."

Finally glad that she brought that up Alexius found a way out of the terrible conversation they were in. "Glad to see you were able to walk after what happened."

She shook her hand away from his grip, "It takes more than an earthquake and rocks to take an amazon down, especially one of my caliber. Push me further and I can take down a god."

He had to admit her confidence in her own abilities was admirable. He had seen for himself that she was more adept at sword fighting and magic than any other woman he had met in his short life. Were she not an amazon she might have had a life of luxury with a noble. But Amazons were born to fight, and the fact that a woman as pretty as Iliana was on the verge of physical confrontation with the man who just saved her was proof of that life.

A little gratitude was all he asked for.

"Alright then..." He tried to move but she forced him back against the wall, pinning him to it. "What?"

"Since you saved my life, Amazon honor says I am bound to one favor for you. Regardless of what it is. As much as I don't like you, I am honor bound to uphold it."

As appealing as that sounded, Alexius moved her hand. "...let's put a rain check on it for now."

"Rain check?"

"Basically as a favor. When I need to use it, I'll let you know."

Almost giving a sigh of relief Iliana relaxed. "Very well, but you will call it in. If you don't I will never let it down."

Sighing lightly Alexius moved out of her way. "I will. you can count on it."

She promptly grabbed onto his arm in a tight grip. Though her fingers were slim and had that feminine look she held onto him with a vice. "Just don't let your libido take it for granted. Otherwise I will eviscerate you."

Typical amazon, he thought. "Don't worry, that's the last thing I would ask of you."


	26. 026: Qixi Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twins Leixia and Xian share a moment of bitter reprieve after their first major festival in their new hometown ended too suddenly...

Chinatown was abuzz with activity, celebrating a festival like it was New Year's Eve. Activity was quite loud outside a fancy Chinese restaurant called the White Tiger. The place was closed for the night but the shops and stores around it were planned to be open as long as possible.

It was on top of the restaurant that two Asian teenagers were standing while watching the fun go down below, with only the stars above being their company.

One was a boy, who was standing like he was forced to be there, while the other was a girl. She had forced him to join her as a form of punishment though that flew over his head.

"Remind me why we're standing here again."

This was the third time that Xian asked, and for the third time his sister ignored him. she was so upset with him that she didn't want to talk.

"Sis. Why are we up here?" The younger twin asked again, unconcerned with his sister's attitude.

His sister looked towards the sky, where the stars were shining brightly in spite of the red-orange glow of the lights in Chinatown below. A festival had just begun to die down with the curfew kicking in less than an hour, people were trying to use what time they had left to enjoy themselves and make long joyous memories to share in the future. San Francisco itself was quiet with only the Golden Gate bridge being lit up for the night. Chinatown was the center of the universe for tonight, well outside of the country of China itself that is. The Qixi Festival was a big deal, being the Chinese Version of Valentine's Day and was celebrated worldwide.

Today was meant to be a big day for the girl whom Xian had earned the wrath of. His older twin sister Leixia, dressed in an expensive red qipao dress with a long skirt that was parted to reveal her smooth legs as well as had her hair braided in a long tail down her back, gave him the look of fury that outmatched any thunderstorm.

"I was ready to have fun today and you ruined it, brother."

"Gimme a break sis. That guy stole the prize I rightfully won."

Earlier in the night, playing some festival games Xian had been challenged by a tourist to a game of apple bobbing and though Xian won the tourist had tried to steal the prize. Long story short Xian beat the crap out of him and in the process got called on by the police, but not before a fight ensued within the crowd. The end result was the large tear on the left side of her dress going entirely up her left side to her underarm. the fabric was shot and so was the check to rent it for the day. Leixia had paid with her own money and her brother was the one who caused her to lose the deposit. Yet that wasn't the main gripe she had with him.

"Because of you we had to leave the festival."

The young man rolled his eyes, "All you miss out on is finding a boyfriend. There's always next year."

Crossing her arms over her chest Leixia sighed. Her brother didn't understand her at all. "I wasn't meaning to find one." 'Though it would been a nice bonus to have been asked out once...' she admitted to herself. She spoke aloud next, "I was hoping we'd get to fit in around here, you know, after moving here from Hong Kong. Not just that, it would have been great for you to make some friends. Today would have been the best time to do so, since you never leave the restaurant otherwise."

He made a sarcastic face at her that his sister failed to see. He didn't like it when she attacked his life style. He wasn't an anti-social person, he just claimed to have other things to do than go outside. Making friends was a chore anyway, especially in a new country. "And you are chasing after boys, which isn't healthy anyway."

"What do you know about healthy mister-I eat-snacks-all-day?"

"Enough to know that being desperate enough to wear that outfit makes you look bad."

"Shut it báichī, this dress cost more than you save in a month, and because of you it is ruined."

"Sheesh sis, it wasn't my fault that chick took a swing at you, let alone you countered it with a kick right to her jaw."

He wasn't wrong, though Leixia wouldn't tell him that out loud. Leixia, as well as her brother, were trained in martial arts though she took her training much more seriously. To the point where when she anticipated an attack she reacted without thinking. One girl who had envied Leixia's natural beauty throughout the night tried to get a cheap shot in and found out the hard way never to attack her. Though Leixia had worn high heels she still managed to land a high kick that would have impressed Jean Claude Van Damme. Too bad her dress had been torn in the process.

Leixia turned the tables on her brother. "Next year I'll make you look presentable and you just might land yourself a girlfriend."

"Why the hell would I do that? I have charm that is irresistible to girls. They will come to me before I go to them."

"What a load of crap," said Leixia before she yawned. Her day had been ruined, but it wasn't something she hadn't expected to happen. she had hoped it would have been done on an entirely different day, is all. 'I'm sixteen going on seventeen...and ever since I came to America I have yet to find a boyfriend...'

Leixia didn't want to think of herself as desperate, since she had been taking her time getting acquainted with the life her new home had offered, but sometimes she wished she could move time a bit faster so she would find herself one. Hanging out with her brother got boring in a hurry, especially when all her old friends were back in Hong Kong.

Though her brother was in the same boat he didn't let it bother him as much as it did her.

Xian got up from his chair and stretched his arms above his head, his hands running through his short dark hair. "Think I'm gonna take a bath then head to bed."

Leixia didn't object, she was planning on doing the same thing. "I'll be inside shortly."

"Gonna admire the view a bit more? I'll let grandpa know."

Leixia nodded once and watched her brother leave. Then while looking up at the star filled sky she walked over to the edge of the roof and picked up what appeared to be a sword sheathed in a green scabbard. The word lightning was etched in Chinese along the length of the scabbard. Sighing once again the girl looked up at the sky and for a moment she thought she saw a shooting star.

"Maybe next year I'll get lucky..."

With that thought she made her way off the roof and back inside to get ready for bed.


	27. 027: Joia, Dream Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another night of work on Project Morpheus in the bag, the head professor finally lowers her defenses after a long day.

"Operation number twenty-two was a success. Subject is currently resting, vitals are normal, and the subject hasn't had any side effects of the treatments prescribed to him by Professor Phan. Will wait for more details to be filed for the next report."

A young woman in a white lab coat sent the report file through her email account before shutting the computer down entirely. She had been up for the last hour to complete her report of what had all happened on that day. Elly Granger, fresh out of college, was aboard a top secret vessel for a top secret project that she was sworn to secrecy.

Her green eyes drifted to the oddly designed chair nearby, which was now empty. "I hope the Professor is alright..."

Footsteps echoed in the empty lab and Elly turned to see a familiar beautiful woman approach her. Long dark hair smoothly flowed down her shoulders, framing a slender face that showed she was in her late twenties at the least. Hazel irises peered down at the intern, exuding a level of maturity she could only get through experience.

"Still up Elly? Best get some rest. We have another patient coming in early tomorrow."

At that moment Elly yawned, as if the god of sleep himself was coming in on her. "Y-Yes ma'am. I was just filing the report you requested before going to bed." Then the young woman handed her superior a clipboard for her to sign. "And I need you to see this. The consent form of the next patient. It needs your signature, professor."

The professor was a tall woman of Vietnamese/Australian ethnicity, though the Asian features she inherited from her mother stood out more. The professor took the clipboard and without even taking the time to glance over the contents, signed her name at the bottom of the paper.

Joia Ti Phan, Head of Project MORPHEUS.

That title was already in typing beside the previously blank space where her name now resided in fresh ink.

Joia signed the rest of the necessary areas which required her attention and only after that was complete did she take a look at the information of the patient she would be treating the next morning. She put on a pair of thin rimmed reading glasses, pulling them out of the left breast pocket of her white lab coat. That coat covered her all white ao dai, a fashionable Vietnamese dress her mother had given her weeks ago. The appearance of this woman, whose beauty was more akin to a model than a woman with a PhD in psychiatry, always made people men and women turn their heads. "Anything I should know about?"

Elly shook her head. "Only that the patient is rather young."

Quickly finding that information Joia's brow arched. "Eight year old girl suffering from horrific nightmares." She kept on reading, finding information that the girl was from Indonesia, moved to Australia with her family due to armed conflict at home, and had been experiencing rash and unusual physical trauma that was seemingly unexplainable. "Patient suffers from abnormal physical pains when attempting to sleep. Night one she woke up complaining that she was being attacked by a clawed monster. Parents brushed it off as a typical nightmare...same occurrence happened consecutively the next two nights...the third night she woke up with a large scratch on her back...left unexplained. Went to a doctor who prescribed sleeping pills which proved to be ineffective..." The details went on and on into more disturbing territory. Joia took it all in, and she kept the stern look on her face.

She was disturbed, yes, but she was good at hiding her emotions. She turned to Elly, "Sounds like they need our help. Desperately."

"Desperately is right ma'am, the mother was on the phone with me for nearly two hours pleading for us to help her daughter." Young as she was Elly had never experienced the cries of a mother desperately searching for help for something like this. Such a thing would no doubt remain with her for the rest of her life. So would all her days being under this woman's employ.

Taking the glasses off her face and putting them back in her coat pocket Joia pinched the bridge of her nose with her left hand. A large diamond ring was on her middle finger. "well, we won't do any good if we are too tired. Finish everything up and head to bed."

"Yes, ma'am." Then Elly had to ask. "And what of the suit?"

Across the room on a mannequin was a body suit. All white with small holes meant for checking vital points, the skin tight suit was made entirely of an experimental fabric meant to keep track of the wearer's vitals from neck to toe. Nicknamed the body cast because of its white color and constricting nature, the suit was the product and main tool of the top secret Project Morpheus which the two women were a part of. Elly was just glad she didn't have to wear it. That 'honor' went to her superior.

Joia looked at the skin tight suit with indifference. In truth she didn't mind that the suit was part of proper procedure and as the only one qualified to handle the patients she had little choice to wear it. Her only issue was the fact that she couldn't wear anything underneath it, and due to it being skin tight it showed off her body to where any woman would find it uncomfortable to wear. The only upside to that was only Elly was around to see her wear it. "It's ready for tomorrow?"

Elly nodded. "Cleaned and the circuitry is fully repaired from the last time it was used."

Turning back to her clipboard Joia didn't give the suit a second glance. She handed the clipboard to her subordinate. "Good work Elly. Good night."

"Good night, Professor..."

The older woman turned away from the girl and went out the door of the lab. Setting the clipboard on the table Elly couldn't help but feel like her boss was troubled on the inside. She had only known her for a short time and had thought at first glance that she was a hard working stoic woman that kept to herself. She certainly gave off the vibe of a woman who viewed the world with a less than ideal optimism. Yet she still was helping people with dream issues like it was another day for her. The fact that she never spoke much about herself added to the mystery.

Joia Ti Phan was certainly an enigma to the intern, as well as the world.

As soon as she returned to her personal cabin Joia took off her lab coat and tossed it onto her bed before she went into the bathroom. The moment she saw her reflection in the mirror was the moment her outer wall fell apart. Her expression softened and she finally allowed her mind to acknowledge how tired she was physically. She had to lean on the sink to steady herself. The tips of her hair touched the white counter top.

The time on the small wall clock was past midnight. The time of her first appointment was at six A.M. She knew she could only get a few hours' sleep before she would be back at the lab for the next patient. Yet as physically tired as she was she looked forward to it. Her physical limit wasn't really reached yet, and she felt she could do more before she would drop.

Still she didn't let anyone know about how she was feeling. Not out of callousness or disregard for her own safety, but out of self-preservation. she didn't need to have people worry about her constantly.

Her last relationship destroyed that.

Still, the doctor knew how to best handle the situation ahead. 'Take a bath, then go to sleep...just to use the dream suit after I wake up.'

With that in mind she went about ending her night. The sandman beckoned to her and she heeded his call.


	28. 028: Bride WANTED!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The youngest prince of Astoria thought his life was on a clear path until his own father sent out a proclamation requesting a bride for his son. Too bad the rebellious prince is so picky that it will not be an easy task... /// one-shot chapter, story to be continued in a solo story.

"Get out of the way!"

The poor soldiers guarding the throne room literally had to get out of the way of a man dressed in a white overcoat with armor on the shoulders. He carried a large sword on his back but more importantly there was a familiar royal insignia on the right side of his chest. That alone would have made them move, but the young man before them was in a rush and so they got out of the way before he could have done worse.

Fromt he lobby and into the throne room the man went before the king. He threw a stack of papers ontot he red carpet leading to the throne, right at the king's feet. "What is the meaning of this, Father?"

"Calm yourself, Astro." Normally the king would have scolded his oldest son for disrespecting him but having a faint clue as to what was upsetting him he let it go this time. The older man stood up, his grey robes elegantly prim on his aging form. A long white beard showed his years, but his strong face also begiled a hidden seriousness. Such as it was for a man who had been king od his kingdom for longer than any of his children had been alive. "What brings you here in a such a hurry?"

His son pointed to the scattered papers ont he floor of the grand hall. On the front was a notice in a big bold letters:

"Bride Wanted for Prince Zayne! All ladies who feel inclined please venture to Castle Astoria!"

Such a post couldnt be made without royal approval, and sure enoguh, at the beginning of the description were the words 'by order of His Royal Majesty King Lyon of Astoria'. Astro was beside himself at his father's action. "That!"

Without bothering to defend himself the king put his hand up. "I will explain myself as long as you keep your voice down."

Astro stood up straight, his composure returned, but it remained on the edge of a blade should he be pushed far enough.

"Now, as to that post, it is my doing as you know." The king bent down and picked up one of the papers. He gazed down at it thoughtfully. "I hoped to help Zayne grow up a little bit. He is approaching the age where he should be thinking about his future."

Astro took a step forward. He had been upset with the post for sure, but not for the reason most would think. "Yuo know Zayne will object to this vehemently, regardless of your intentions."

"Your brother has already done so to my face, but he got nowhere," said the king, remembering how his son had thrown a temper tantrum unbecoming of a sixteen year old prince. More akin to a five year old toddler more like. "He will understand in due time."

The older prince sighed, 'Hope so, father...knowing Zayne he will not take this situation lightly favorably...'

Outside the large kingdom of Astoria deep in the forest, the young prince of the kingdom let out his frustration on any rocks and trees he came across, swinging his large sword in any direction he felt necessary. Sweat flowed from his brow, dampening the shortened black hair and sticking his bangs to his forehead. Not only that but he constant exertion and no rest made his black leather outfit stuck to his slender frame, almost like it was shrinking, threatening to crush him if it constricted him further. That was the least of his worries.

"Damn that old man! Why the hell would he go and do this to me? I dont wanna get married!"

Such language was unbecoming of a prince, but to anyone who knew Zayne they knew this was typical speech coming from him. He had always been the rebel prince of the kingdom, refraining from being prim like his older brother or at worst being responsible like his father wanted him to be.

Unlike the rest of his family, the royal court held no interest for the prince. That distinction was for the battlefield, and that is where he shone like the sun. Ever since he had been able to pick up a sword he made the battlefield his playground and he wouldnt have it any other way.

Still, even the singing of his blade against wood and stone could not get his mind off what his dad had done. Putting up notices looking for a wife for him? The idea was absurd and genuinely infuriating. 'Ha! Teh old man needs a lesson in how i work before he can go asking girls if they want to marry me.'

Always the rebel the youngest son of Lyon chuckled as he brought his sword down on a thick tree, cutting it right in half with a vertical swing of his sword.

Finally needing to take a breather the prince went and sat down on a stone he had cleaved right in two, standing his sword next to him. The blade given to him by his father for his sixteenth birthday was a sword with an unusually jagged edge adorned with a pink-red jewel in the hilt. The prince had named it the Reaper, just because it sounded cool. It was his best friend, the only one he could trust, and unlike his family it didnt talk back to him when he argued.

Looking up at the noon sun the prince sighed. The amount of frustration he felt had lessened considerably though it was still there. He had only one thought to share about his father's post.

"If there is a woman out there looking to marry me, she better damn well know how to handle herself in a fight. I don't want a damsel for a wife." As far as the prince was concerned, there was no woman alive that would interest him. At least off the battlefield, that is.

Due to the posting by the king, women from the neighboring kingdoms all flocked to the realm of Astoria. Their numbers were mostly unclear, but it was easily in the hundreds.

Most had dreams of marrying into royalty for the sake of luxury.

Some for the fortune and prestige of being the wife of the prince.

Others wanted to prove themselves as strong in spite of class distinctions.

Finally, there were those who wanted to fulfill promises to themselves and others.

Tiem would tell if any of these ladies would get their own fairy tale ending, and Zayne had to see to it until the end.

Whether he liked it or not.

To Be Continued...


	29. 029: The Reptillians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping from their mortal enemies, the crew of the Shell find themselves stranded on the planet Earth. Bipedal lizards far from home on a largely unknown world, their captain Rex Raptor has a tough situation ahead of him, and the safety of his crew is his top priority.

The unidentified flying object had crashed in the southeastern United States, or more specifically, the swamps of southern Georgia. The fact that they crashed into a dense swamp was the only good news for the crew.

The ship was dark, but the moment Rex could move his three fingers he knew he was alive. Sore with fractures in his tail but alive and still kicking.

The alien stood up, his reptilian head resembled that of a Utah raptor with some feathers on the back of his head. He was over six feet tall with orange and black scales all over his body.

Shaking his head the captain of the ship looked around. The screens that were used for navigation were either cracked or entirely shattered, rendering them unusable. The power to the ship was completely gone.

Rex's yellow eyes twitched as he heard the rumbling of the ship as sank into the mud and water of the swamp outside. Already battle scarred from a rush across the known universe, the craft had left a crater in the swamp that quickly filled up with water, but it was mostly above the line. Despite the damage on the outside, including the loss of an engine and an entire wing, the inside suffered only minor damage.

That wasn't the only sound he heard. Off to the side, another bipedal reptile got up from the wreck that was once a ship. It was a taller and much more burly member of his crew with the head of a Syracasaurus, though one of his horns had long been chipped. A badge of honor from a previous battle.

"Captain? Glad to see you're in one piece..." The bigger creature eyed the captain, and though his little black eyes were hard to notice his emotions, he sounded relieved.

Rex nodded once, "Same to you..." He noticed right then that something was off. "Hammer, when did you use the Automatic Language Inhibitor?"

The inhibitor, or ALH for short, was a device meant to be used when travelling to planets with intelligent life. The inhibitor stored all known languages as well as general information regarding a specific planet. All it took was an injection into the wrist, right into the main blood vein, the power of speech was as easy as riding a bike.

"As soon as Ignis input the coordinates to this backwater planet." Hammer was the second in command under Rex, as well as a longtime friend from outside of the army.

Rex himself had done during the flight, though he had to admit that the ship had arrived on earth well before he had expected it to. Well, the flight was over, now they needed to regroup and evaluate their situation.

Not going to be easy, especially when the planet they were on was so backwards in terms of technology.

"Find Kappa and the others, we need to restore power to the Shell at least. Weapons systems as well if possible...but check to see who all made it first."

With heavy footsteps Hammer carefully made his way along the bridge. Sparks flew from the control consoles and the emergency lights kicked in. The entire room was darkened with a reddish glow, but being Reptilian the darkness didn't hinder his sight. Still, seeing his craft is such a deplorable state made him lose a bit of hope. 'Hope our enemies didn't trail us...'

He couldn't help but believe that if they had been followed they would be wiped out before a defense could even be thought up.

"Owowowow-"

Rex heard a familiar squeaky voice and tapping of feet along the metal floor. "Cap? You there?"

Hammer's voice bellowed loudly through the ship. "Found Kappa hiding under the navigation table."

The little green and yellow bipedal chameleon wore a white lab coat over his small frame. He couldn't have been more than four feet tall but his voice was loud and proud. His eyes twitched in all directions, they were far more adapted to the dark. "I will let you know that the table was the only thing bolted down in my lab. I did that in case of an emergency landing or in this case a crash landing!"

Though unreasonable and downright irritating at times the little lizard was the brains behind the operation that Rex commanded and so most difficult tasks were left to him.

"Anyway Kappa, we've arrived on earth and I would appreciate it if you tried to make sure the crew was up to date with their ALI. There's a chance we'll run into primates here."

"You mean humans? They aren't anything to worry about."

Rex knew very little of the dominant species on this planet, other than they were in the billions and were extremely primitive in terms of technology but very advanced in the art of warfare. For the Reptilians humanity were seen as a friendly rival, even though they were unknown to the primate species. Far as he knew anyway.

Meanwhile Hammer had to report the rest of the crew's status. "A miracle this is, sir, but the rest of the crew survived the crash. Can't say the same for the Shell though."

The captain couldn't agree more. Their only source of travel was gone, and so returning home to their planet wasn't an option. Not without at least three hundred days of mechanical work to fix it, and that was if the humans had the right parts. How could they not have a interdimensional thruster in their junk piles? Those things were common anywhere.

Yet Rex knew there was also the fact that the humans would more than likely view their presence as a threat. They were a cautious species last he checked, to ridiculous standards. "Kappa, take the time and make sure the Carapace armor is ready for deployment. We could run into trouble."

"Always up to date on the armor sir. Just press the button on your wrist gauntlet and it will deploy as practiced. That is unless you imbeciles forgot how to press a button."

His condescending attitude irritated Hammer and he 'softly' knocked him on the head. That impact made the console he was sitting at shake under the force of the blow. Kappa, though knocked for a loop, was perfectly fine.

"Ignis and Sobek are checking the engine room to inspect the damage. They'll come here once they're done."

Sobek, a bipedal crocodile, was the mechanic of the ship. Ignis on the other hand was the navigator who was a bipedal iguana. He had been suffering from one of his usual sick spells. Ironic as he was the navigator and he got sick whenever the ship had flown erratically.

Proper procedure, thought Rex. His mind then shifted to a more pressing matter. "Hopefully we'll prepare a defense before anything finds us." No doubt the crash had alerted anyone that lived nearby. That meant curiosity would bite them in the bud and investigate. He turned to Kappa, "We need to divert what power we can to the camouflage circuit. The ship has to remain hidden from prying eyes."

"I'll add that to the list, sir," said Kappa, still smarting over the blow given to him from Hammer.

"I'd put that as high priority over the rest of it, Kappa," said Hammer as he finished checking the rest of the circuitry in the bridge. The entire bridge was out of commission, and thus their eyes and ears to outside the ship were out as well. "We will have to make sure no one is right outside."

The chances of anyone being outside the ship at that very moment had crossed Rex's mind more than once. Though if anything was in the vicinity of the crash they would have died from the impact which, while unfortunate benefitted the crew.

Still, he knew that it was best to make sure. He went and grabbed his wrist gauntlet from his chair and put it on his left wrist. "Get the shields up. I'll be back in a few moments."

Ever the officer Hammer grabbed his own gauntlet in his thick fingers. "Want me to accompany you sir?" He put it on before his captain answered.

Grinning to show many fangs in his mouth, the captain answered. "Of course, just don't shoot unless you're ordered to."

As the two officers left the bridge, Kappa managed to get one of the screens working. Coincidentally it was the one that led to the off-ramp that led outside. It flickered constantly, no doubt struggling to maintain connection as well as lost all color. Soon he saw his two superiors push the button that led was supposed to lower the ramp. It struggled at first and slowly, but surely, went down.

"Good luck, sir," said Kappa as the screen froze before finally shutting down entirely.

Thought I'd try something new for today's chapter, something I have never tried before: an anthromorphic style story in the vein of TMNT. Liked it more than I thought I would, to be honest.


	30. 031: An Artist's Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an artist finds a stone in his backyard, his excitement and enthusiasm cause him to do the one thing anyone would do: he wishes to see his creations brought to life. Be careful what you wish for, because you might get it in the end...

If there was ever a time to panic James Taylor was the verge of it.

Late in the night, well past midnight and when he should be resting for school in the morning he was instead sitting straight up in his bed with a sketchpad in his hands and his bedside lamp on. He had a calm disposition but the truth was he was about to fall over a cliff and unless he drew what he dreamt up he was gonna regret it later. That detail he was sure of.

He yawned before voicing his displeasure at his own overstimulated brain. "Why do the best ideas come to me in the middle of the night? Sheesh..."

He only did a rough sketch of what he had in his mind: a female character with moth wings on her back. Body proportions were like those you'd see in a Japanese manga. That meant oversexualized assets. He was a guy after all and he wanted his characters, especially his female ones, to be attractive to his viewers.

"Stacy is going to gut me for it but I have the right to do it, especially when it serves a purpose to the character itself." He justified his character's attractiveness by adding a note at the bottom of the page, 'power of seduction naturally/also uses pheromones and powder in her wings to help her in battle.' He added one last detail, 'mechanical suit, but the wings are made of a special fabric to show off how fluffy it is.'

He'd add the finer details during lunch at school when he was with his art club friends.

James yawned once again. "I'd better get to sleep..." Yet like all advice he gave, especially to himself, he ignored it by getting out of bed and walking over to the most important area of his room: his art desk. Built like a shrine on the only wall that didn't have a window into his attic bedroom there were countless sketches and drawings he had made recently as well as written notes he had made on his latest project. The title of said project was in bold letters on the top of the wall: Battle Bugs.

A story where four soldiers are sent to a planet to rid it of hostile bugs to protect humans, and eventually they run into mutated bugs that even resemble humans in form.

That was the initial idea the artist had when he came up with it the first sketch nearly a week ago.

Under the title were three pictures of humans dressed in mechanical armor modeled after insects. A fourth spot was at the end and empty. Not for long as James tore the newest picture out of his sketchpad and taped it to that spot.

"There...all four characters are set. Now to come up with this one's name..." His mind went into an excited overdrive mode and names popped into his mind as he starred at the picture of the female character. He had modeled her after a certain moth in Venezuela called a poodle moth. An adorable insect that once he laid eyes on it James couldn't stop thinking about it. So using that as inspiration he implemented the bug into the design of the fourth member of the Battle Bugs James took a quick glance over the other three members.

On the other end was the leader of his team. Named Hiro, the teenage leader was modeled after the fearsome looking but chivalrous Hercules beetle. The mechanical armor he wore had a smooth surface with dark yellow colors. His right arm was a serrated pincer while he had a small circular shield in his left. The notes at the bottom of his page indicated his personality as courageous and willing to do anything to save his friends and others.

The next one down was a much larger character named Titan. Modeled after the Rhinoceros beetle, Titan's body was heavily armored and made for more than just protection. James was quite proud of the idea he had gotten for Titan. The armor was used as a battering ram as it was for keeping his body intact. Details were scarce on him but from what he had written at the bottom of his page James knew that Titan was the older brother of Hiro and a very serious character who was careful in battle in spite of his heavily armored body.

The final drawing in the line was a much smaller character. A little girl with a bright smile and a ladybug hair clip in her smooth dark hair named Franny was the least armored of the four. That was fitting as she wasn't a front line fighter and more defensive than the others. 'Tech advisor and energetic inventor, she invented the Bugs' armor and gets along well with everyone but is described as annoying by Titan. She in turn refuses to share her cookies with him.' That last bit he added for comedic purposes. Franny's armor consisted of a red body suit with little steel plates on her chest but her most advanced piece of armor was the backpack she wore modeled after the back of a ladybug. Though it looked normal James had put in the effort to turn it into a jet pack as well as a place to store small items.

Then he got to the newest one, the moth girl. This one's name was going to be a new kind of difficult but he decided to follow the theme he had set when he named Franny. James had named the kid after a bug in a movie from when he was a kid, and so he did the same thing for the newest character. With her furry outfit (which was nothing but a white strapless tube top covered in fur and black tights with white fur knee high heel boots) matching with her short platinum blonde hair she definitely had a French model appeal. Hell, her pink eyes also had an allure to them that he loved.

Her age of being older teen helped him envision her with curves that drove men nuts. Of course a small bit of James thought he had been a bit overboard giving her a large chest that barely fit in her top but once he figured she'd use that as a 'secret' weapon she was even better as a character. To compensate for the fan service he did a quick edit and added a furry white scarf around her neck that would trail back over her shoulder. Of course he made sure that it didn't overlap her beautiful moth wings. Those were her main form of offense, more so than her impressive chest. They held all sorts of poisons that could put foes to sleep.

"She looks like a fancy poodle...how about Fifi?"

It was a typical poodle name but it was different and he always enjoyed different. Sure the main inspiration was the Venezuelan moth but there was nothing wrong with adding other ingredients to the pot so to speak.

But there was something about such a simple name as Fifi that James enjoyed, and nothing could change his mind once he decided to put it to paper. "Fifi it is."

A third yawn finally hit the artist before he finally set his ink pen down. Fatigue was finally settling in and sleep wasn't too far behind. Yet he really wanted to keep going. 'But if I stay up any longer my productivity will suffer for the next few days...'

Even as this fact repeated through his head he took the time to gaze down at his other sketchbook. This one was closed but had a title written in magic marker: Villains for Battle Bugs. But on top of that was a smooth emerald green jewel the size of a grape. He had found that gem in his backyard earlier that day but hadn't one anything with it other than stare at it at times for inspiration. A strange thing to find in a place such as a New York neighborhood. Someone must have dropped it while passing through or something, he thought.

Well, it was his now, unless someone came knocking for it then he would give it back.

Taking one last look at the storyboard with his Battle Bug soldiers on it, including the newly minted Fifi, James gave a sigh of minor satisfaction before picking up the jewel in his hand. He gave a long look at it before turning to look at the drawing of Hiro.

He grinned humorously, "Maybe this is a wish giving stone? Ha! Then I wish all my creations would come to life."

As if he had rubbed a magic lamp he had expected a genie to pop out and give it to him. Bedlam would no doubt ensue, but as an artist seeing his creations bounce off the paper and be living breathing forms would be so cool. Even his villains would be beyond cool.

But that was a dream that could only be achieved with major hard work and success, to media like film. that was something that was far off in his future, long as he worked hard for it.

But wishes couldn't be asked or expected, but achieved. That was part of James' life philosophy. Work hard until that goal is reached.

He set the stone down on the table. "It would be cool if my stuff was brought to life though, what an awesome idea."

A final yawn escaped his mouth and this time James' definitely wanted to give in. His bed was looking very good right now. 'Okay, now I will go to bed...'

So as he went back to his bed and turned off his light, a blink and you'll miss it moment happened not once but twice. As he turned his back on his storyboard and drifted off to sleep, the jewel on his desk flashed a faint green light. The light reached the four pictures of the heroes on the board and drowned the villain sketchbook underneath it.

Though it looked like an ordinary stone, the jewel's magic, long dormant, began to work itself free. The teenager's wish had been heard, and soon it would be granted.

There was no going back now...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	31. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short message from the author.

So there you have it, an introduction to my original Multiverse, ideas I have had since my hobby of writing began many years ago. Going through many genres and inspired by all sorts of things I like, countless characters and worlds created all for the same reasons: to express my creativity and create stories for people to enjoy. I’m sure I’ll make more worlds in the future, but for the foreseeable future this are the stories I will be pushing with.

Yet, this project has opened many doors for me to explore and I am already on my way to working on the next one.

Hopefully you enjoyed meeting these characters, please leave a review if you do and stay tuned for the next one!


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